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Work was completed in early October on the first two phases of the joint Town/County water pressure project. Phase I was the installation of the 16-inch water main along NC 211 from the main gate to near the Middleton Boulevard intersection, along with a recently installed 16-inch check valve, which was received earlier this month. Phase II consisted of three water line extensions within the Town to improve water flow in sections of the Town where pipes were either undersized or dead-ended and needed to be looped into other lines to improve flow.
Phase III, which will be the installation of a 16-inch water line under the BEMC power lines on the west side of town, will improve water flow and some water pressure, particularly in higher-elevation areas. This phase is currently under design and is expected to be awarded for construction in 2027. This portion was delayed due to environmental issues discovered during preliminary engineering.
Unrelated to the Town/County construction contract, but instrumental to completion of Phase I, is the activation of a 24-inch Pressure Sustaining Valve (PSV) with a bypass near the Regency gate. This work is part of the NC 211 widening project and under the jurisdiction of NCDOT. The 24-inch PSV has been installed, but a requested change by Brunswick County Utilities (BCU), who will ultimately be responsible for the equipment, resulted in a change order to the general contractor, Barnhill Construction, and has delayed activation of the equipment. Once completed, the pressure zone that will lead to increased water pressure in the Town can be activated by BCU.
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