The bathhouse is working on expanding the sewerage system
Posted on Saturday, November 5th, 2022 at 6:30 am
- The City of Bath is working to raise funds to expand the sewer system so there will be more connections in the future. They operate at about 22,500 gallons per day, but their goal is to reach 40,000 gallons per day, according to City Manager Babs Carson. Photo used with permission from Elizabeth Boyd.
The city of Bath is working to increase water and sewer capacity because the city is currently operating “near capacity,” according to City Manager Babs Carson.
The city is working to raise funds that will be used to expand the water and sewer system so that additional connections can be made and accommodate future development.
This March, Bath received two $150,000 asset inventory and assessment grants from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for wastewater treatment projects. The city also received $5 million from the state budget for sewer improvements, the Daily News reported.
Carson noted Bath’s geographic location, which is limited by natural barriers such as Bath Creek. These barriers limit how much a small municipality can grow, including the sewer system.
“It’s been going on for a few years,” Carson said. The city has made several improvements over the years; however, its sewage system is more than 20 years old.
Carson said the state “warned” the city “several years ago” about an existing sewage system that was running close to capacity. This meant that the city had to start looking for alternative ways to improve the sewer system. He said the city has completed research and is considering partnerships with surrounding areas.
According to Carson, the city’s original capacity was 40,000 gallons per day, but now the authorized capacity is about 22,500 gallons per day.
“40,000 has been our goal for years and hopefully that’s what we’re trying to achieve,” he said.
Recent construction in Bath has been on lots large enough to receive a permit from Beaufort County Environmental Protection for private septic tanks.
In the past decade, many new homes built in Bath use private septic systems, Carson said.
“We’ve had growth, but we’ve been somewhat limited because we haven’t been able to provide wastewater to some of the smaller lots that may not have been able to install private septic,” Carson added.
Carson stated the city council’s desire to provide sewer service to anyone who builds a home or business in the city. How long it will take before everyone can be served has not been determined.
The cost of building materials has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning the city needs to raise more funds than originally planned two years ago. Carson said the city will need to raise at least another $5 million or more for the project’s total cost of $10 million to $15 million. Once the funds are raised, it will take about two years to expand sewer services.
