Weldon exploring water options, new plant: $9.8M

WELDON — Weldon is exploring if a new water treatment plant is its best option to meet the town’s long-term growth needs, Mayor Johnny Draper said Friday.

At issue is whether the town should build a $9.8 million plant with a 3-million gallon a day capacity, do nothing or buy water from the Roanoke Rapids Sanitary District. “The numbers are early at the moment,” he said. “The numbers used do not include grants, low interest loans and I understand there may be stimulus money available.”

Draper said the three options are far from being ready for town commissioners to take a vote. “Obviously the citizens will be involved way before a decision is made,” he said. “It’s just early on in the due diligence period to see if the board says it makes sense. That looking took years to get here. The next step won’t be that long but it won’t be done right away. We have to see how much money is available, what it costs to buy water from another source and which is most cost effective.”

What the town knows thus far is last year the current plant was at 73 percent of its capacity and one day last year it reached 87 percent of its capacity. “Obviously it was an unusual day.”

In 30 years, the town will need to produce 2.5 million gallons of water a day, water for citizens, water to sell to Halifax. “We obviously have the potential to sell more water … We can produce 1.2 million gallons of water now. We’re looking for a 20-year projection down the road. We’re just trying to get ready for the future.”

Looking at the three options, Draper said if the town board decides to do nothing at some point the town will reach a capacity where it can’t produce any more. “When you reach 75 to 80 percent you start a future development plan. What happens is you outgrow the water you produce.”

The town has a permit, which allows it to draw 12 million gallons of water a day from the Roanoke River. If the plant is built, the town would draw 3 million gallons of water a day from the river.

Buying water from the RRSD becomes a more complicated matter and will most likely be the topic of a future meeting, Draper said.

What the scenario looks like, at least now, is the town could build a plant cheaper than it could buy the water, the mayor said. “We’re asking them (the RRSD) to give us a number on 3 million gallons and capacity charge. The next critical step is to determine what the district is going to sell us water for and what they will charge us for that capacity.”

RRSD CEO Dan Brown said Friday the figures are currently being compiled and he has heard the early estimate the plant could be cheaper to build than buying water. “We’re in the process of seeing what we can do to help them with that and seeing what impact that will have on rates,” he said. “We have plenty of capacity.”

Brown said, he believes if Weldon buys water from the RRSD it could spread costs among all users. “To me it should have a positive benefit. We’re still in the process of studying it.”

Another consideration Weldon has to make, Draper said, is if the new plant is built should it be built at its current location near the new Riverside Mill project or in the Weldon Industrial Park. “I think it’s an excellent idea,” the mayor said of building the plant in the industrial park. “It furthers what we’re trying to do to enhance the river. Moving the plant at this point would be very beneficial assuming we can build. It’s going to take more due diligence.”