Pender County is taking significant steps to improve access to water for its rural residents, a move that could affect the well-being of tens of thousands in the area. Currently, only about 11,000 of Pender’s 72,000 residents receive water utilities, meaning a staggering 85% remain without this essential service.<\/p>\n
To address this challenge, county officials are weighing multiple funding options. Notably, they’re considering a $25 million loan from the drinking water state revolving fund and a $35 million loan via the clean water state revolving fund. Additionally, a $3 million grant from the drinking water and wastewater state reserve could also play a critical role in financing these projects.<\/p>\n
The issue is urgent. County commissioners face a September 30 grant deadline to finalize decisions regarding water supply routes. Highfill Infrastructure Engineering has proposed two potential options for supplying water, with estimated costs of $12.5 million and nearly $20 million.<\/p>\n
As community needs grow, interest among residents is clear. Over 1,500 individuals have already paid tap connection fees in anticipation of future water connections. This indicates a significant demand for improved access to safe drinking water.<\/p>\n
The necessity for these solutions is underscored by public health concerns. Testing has found that about one-third of the 188 wells examined in Pender County since 2020 contain detectable levels of PFAs, potentially harmful substances.<\/p>\n
In light of these challenges, the Pender County Commissioners have approved a comprehensive 20-year master plan to address future water needs, signaling a commitment to enhance water infrastructure and protect the health of residents.<\/p>\n
As discussions progress, it\u2019s imperative for Pender County residents to stay informed and involved in these crucial developments. Access to clean, reliable water is vital not only for health but for the overall quality of life in our community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Only 15% of Pender County residents currently have access to water utilities, prompting officials to seek solutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/signal.longwatch.win\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}