ELLERBE — Town leaders reviewed a long-term sewer asset management plan outlining infrastructure conditions, past improvements and an estimated $17 million in future projects during the April council meeting.
The plan, presented by LKC Project Manager Ben Wibbens, is intended to guide maintenance and upgrades to the town’s wastewater system over the next 20 years and support future grant and loan applications.
“We’ve been working for the past 2.5 years on updates to your sewer asset management plan,” said Wibbens. “It’s supposed to be a tool to help you manage your wastewater system.”
In 2022, the town received a $200,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality using American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the effort.
“We had a really good source of data to start with,” Wibbens said. “We built on that and updated it to 2026 Since that last update, the major thing that changed is we were able to successfully complete two projects in town related to your sewer system.”
The town has since completed rehabilitation of 7,332 linear feet of gravity sewer, about 22.5% of its clay pipe inventory.
Wibbens said those improvements helped reduce system infiltration during major rain events. He compared similar storms in 2018 and 2025, noting significantly less sewer discharge in the more recent event.
“We were able to eliminate some really strong sources of infiltration into your system, and at the end of the day, save money that we’re having to pay Rockingham to treat groundwater. That’s the first thing I want to note: we had some success with the previous projects and hopefully, this guides us to more success,” Wibbens said.
The report evaluates four main components of the system: gravity sewer pipes, sewer manholes, pump stations and force mains.
About half of the town’s system consists of clay pipe installed in the 1930s and 1940s, which Wibbens identified as a primary source of infiltration.
“Brick manholes and clay pipe are the leading source of that infiltration that I mentioned earlier,” Wibbens said. “Getting that 50% number down as low as we can in the next 20 years is our primary goal with our improvement plan in this report. The rest of your system, 48% is PVC [polyvinyl chloride]. That’s the new expansions that you had in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Wibbens told the council the clay pipes are in “poor” condition, while newer PVC pipes are rated “good” to “very good.” He said condition assessments are largely based on age and performance.
“One of the things we look at here is life cycle. The clay has been working in the ground for 80 plus years, but understanding there are some deficiencies in that pipe. The PVC that we have implemented is ‘good’ and ‘very good.’ You don’t have those deficiencies yet. PVC does have a lifespan, but PVC wasn’t really implemented in your system specifically until late 70s, early 80s,” Wibbens said.
Wibbens said recent inspections, including vacuum and air testing and camera work by contractor KRG Utilities, confirmed the condition of the system and helped prioritize repairs.
“We were really focused on the clay portions to help us verify what was the highest priority, lowest priority, where we can do spot repairs, where we can recommend lining instead of full replacement,” said Wibbens.
The town operates seven pump stations, including locations at Richmond Yarns, Spruce Street/Highland, Second Street, Ellerbe Springs, Highway 220 Business, Ballard Street and Mineral Springs School.
Mayor Lee Berry raised questions about financial responsibility for the pump station at Mineral Springs School.
“We need something in writing,” Berry said.
Wibbens said the town and school have historically shared costs and recommended formalizing an agreement.
“I think it would be beneficial to get some sort of agreement with the school, however that plays out. We can make sure that’s a recommendation in this report,” Wibbens said.
The plan outlines 13 capital improvement projects over the next two decades, including nine gravity sewer projects totaling about $14.4 million, three pump station upgrades at approximately $1.8 million, one force main project estimated at $240,000 and two equipment purchases totaling about $550,000.
“This capital improvement plan guides us what projects we can do in the system over the next 20 years. This capital improvement plan is, I would say, necessary for us to get funding in the future for grant funding, loans, anything of that sort,” said Wibbens.
LKC is expected to return in May for potential adoption of the report.