Governor Roy Cooper Visits TWSA Water Treatment Plant
Recently, Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina, and Elizabeth Biser, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), visited and toured the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority (TWSA) Water Treatment Plant as part of the announcement of $462.9 million in funding for 249 drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects in 80 communities across the state. TWSA will be receiving $4.1 million in grant funding for a new on-site clearwell and a high service pump replacement that will make their water treatment plant stronger, more resilient, and add needed storage to the plant.
Daniel Manring, TWSA’s Executive Director, welcomed Governor Cooper and Secretary Biser along with Drew Christy, Director of the Western Regional Office of Governor Roy Cooper; several NCDEQ staff, including Nicole Hairston, Environmental Specialist I, and Logan Kluttz, Project Manager; TWSA board members and staff, Rich Price, Executive Director of Economic Development and Regional Partnerships Western Carolina University; and McGill staff, including Andy Lovingood, President, Mark Cathey, Vice President / Regional Manager, Kyle Seaman, Project Manager, and other members of the media and public.
AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) FUNDING
ARPA funding is being awarded through NCDEQ for clean water infrastructure projects. North Carolina received $2.3 billion to award to communities for clean water initiatives. “Every single North Carolinian deserves clean drinking water, and aging water systems are a threat to the health and economies of too many of our communities,” said Governor Cooper. Secretary Biser added, “Investing in water infrastructure provides communities with reliable, affordable access to clean water and the opportunity for future economic growth.” McGill assisted TWSA with the grant application to NCDEQ- Department of Water Infrastructure (DWI) for the funding for this project.
TWSA WATER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES
TWSA will use the $4.1 million for a new clearwell to replace the existing clearwell that is located offsite and currently serves as a dual role of clearwell and distribution storage tank. The project also includes a new high service pump station that will transfer finished water from the new clearwell to the existing clearwell which will function solely as a distribution tank. These upgrades will improve operations and plant resiliency by reducing chlorine usage, providing easier access to the clearwell for plant staff, and allow both the existing and proposed clearwell to be properly maintained.
MCGILL’S ROLE IN THE PROJECT
McGill helped secure funding for the project and will be providing design and construction phase services for these much-needed upgrades to the TWSA Water Treatment Plant. This project will help TWSA better serve the residents of Jackson County and the Towns of Dillsboro, Sylva, and Webster.
Kyle Seaman stated, “Having had the privilege to work with Executive Director Daniel Manring and TWSA’s staff over the last several years, I know this project has long been on their wish list of things their water system has needed. Thanks to DWI grant-funded programs, such as the Asset and Inventory Assessments and merger / regionalization feasibility studies, McGill was able to work with TWSA to identify these upgrades as a crucial need for their water system. To finally be able to work on the design of these upgrades and have it fully grant funded through the ARPA program is a big step forward in implementing the project. It was a great privilege to have Governor Cooper and Secretary Biser acknowledge the importance of this project by touring the facility and speaking of the project’s positive impact on the community. I look forward to continuing to serve Executive Director Manring and TWSA staff, in my role as project manager with McGill on this important infrastructure project for Jackson County.”
SHAPING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
McGill is proud to be a part of this project for TWSA which will improve the lives of so many in the towns and communities of Jackson County.
LEARN MORE
Click here to learn more about the services that our water / wastewater team can provide and click here to learn how McGill can assist you and your community in securing funding for your next project.
