Sewer system in sight

A public meeting was held last week by the IDA and project engineer Charlie Armentrout, to bring the community up to date on plans for a commercial sewer system in the Dogboro/Hull area.

A similar public meeting was held in July 2007, but since then, Armentrout told those present, the EPD has required the county to add a wastewater holding pond to the sewer’s site plan before issuing a permit to build the facility.

The IDA is anxious to get the sewer system online, said IDA executive director Marvin White.

White said they have had some commercial inquiries for the area, but that the main push comes from the current Ingles grocery store, which is planning a new, larger store at their current location that cannot be adequately served by its own current on-site sewer system.

White said the store is planning the expansion around when they will be able to get online with the county’s new system.

White also said that the Veteran’s Clinic next door to Ingles is planning to expand, which will require a sewer system, and that the owner of an Italian restaurant has also expressed interest in coming in once a sewer system is in place.

Armentrout said the addition of the holding pond requires the IDA to obtain an individual permit for the sewer system, rather than a general permit, as originally planned. The holding pond was added to the plans in order to hold treated water during the winter months, when the 34.5-acre adjacent underground drip field for the system will use less water for the Bermuda hay that is grown and harvested above it. Armentrout explained that the water will be treated to a “certain quality” and then applied underground through the drip system to nourish the hay field above it. The hay will be harvested periodically by contractors hired by the authority. The field is adjacent to Hull-Sanford Elementary and the IDA’s Hull water tower.

The 4.5-million gallon lined storage pond will be located at the 3.5-acre treatment plant site located along Hwy. 29 at Bryce Landing subdivision.

The sewer system will serve the U.S. Hwy. 29 commercial corridor in the Dogsboro community out to the Hull-Sanford Elementary School.

Armentrout planned to meet with EPD officials at the site on Friday. Once the permit is issued, White said the bidding process can begin. He said the sewer system is expected to take seven to eight months to bring online.