03/29/2024
Bladenboro Entrance
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By Erin Smith

The town of Bladenboro was recently awarded a grant to participate in a regionalized wastewater study along with Lumberton.

Bladenboro Town Administrator Blake Proctor said the grant is in the amount of $35,000 and will cover the expenses incurred to perform a feasibility study for a regional wastewater system. He said he expects the Lumber River Council of Government will manage the study.

He said the town currently has issues with the wastewater capacity which makes it difficult to attract new industries. Carroll Poultry has had issues with their wastewater discharge and has received fines for violating the discharge permit.

Proctor said a regionalized wastewater system that would allow Bladenboro to send its wastewater to Lumberton would be a win-win for both towns.

“Lumberton’s wastewater plant is underutilized. The closer to capacity a swear plant is, the better it operates,” said Proctor.

He said by the town of Bladenboro sending their wastewater to Lumberton, it resolves some fo the town’s wastewater capacity issues.

“We would then have the capacity (at the sewer plant) to try to attract more industry,” said Proctor.

He said, if a regionalized wastewater system is created, the town will still have to make some upgrades and improvements to the water and sewer lines and lifting stations. Proctor said the town has an asset management plan already in place and is studying upgrading the existing wastewater treatment plant.

The regionalized study is the first step in determining the actual feasibility of creating a regionalized wastewater treatment system.

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