CAMDEN — Camden is exploring a moratorium on new residential development because of insufficient wastewater infrastructure capable of meeting the county’s expected growth.
County commissioners voted 4-1 earlier this week to start the process of possibly instituting a moratorium on new developments.
Commissioners Ross Munro, Troy Leary, Tiffany White and Sissy Aydlett all voted in favor of exploring the possibility of a moratorium. Commissioner Randy Krainiak cast the lone no vote.
Aydlett asked at the start of the meeting that the issue be added to Monday’s agenda for discussion and her motion passed on a 4-1 vote with Krainiak also voting no.
Commissioners agreed on Monday to also start addressing wastewater capacity when they unanimously agreed to spend $65,000 for a second study for a project in South Mills.
The county’s planning board will first have to discuss a possible moratorium and then forward its recommendation to the Board of Commissioners. If a moratorium is adopted the board will have to identify a time period for when it will be in effect.
“It’s a legislative process,” County Manager Erin Burke said. “That would also go to the planning board and then come back to the board of commissioners for findings of fact and then a vote.’’
Burke said if a moratorium is adopted it will probably be focused on residential development.
“Initial discussions with the board of commissioners have been weighted by concerns with residential demand for waste water,” Burke said. “Commercial wastewater users have not been discussed in detail. Residential services typically have a higher allocation of wastewater than most typical commercial users.”
Resident Robert Nobles told commissioners during public comment at Monday’s meeting that he is not opposed to “slow” development but that plans for almost 2,000 homes in the northern part of the county will overburden Camden schools and its water and wastewater infrastructure.
“Just because they have built up a bunch of businesses and stuff in Chesapeake, (Virginia) and they have just about run out of development up there, they don’t need to crowd up on us,” Nobles said. “Our schools are more and more crowded. I hope you see that we don’t need it.’’
Back in 2022 Camden worked with the Elizabeth City consulting firm Timmons Group for design of a new wastewater treatment plant for the South Mills area. That resulted in a set of plans and specifications that are 60% complete for a new facility that would initially have a capacity of 250,000 gallons per day. But the plant could be expanded to accommodate one million gallons per day.
The South Mills wastewater study approved by commissioners Monday night is for continuation of the design of the plant and locating a site while also actively pursuing a surface water discharge permit from the state.
Burke said the $65,000 cost of the study is being covered by a grant Camden received from the state and it would complete the design plans for the plant.
“The firm (Timmons) will also assist with a rate study, including monthly charges, connection fees and capacity fees,” Burke said. “They will work to find alternative funding sources.’’
The cost estimate for a new wastewater treatment plant in 2022 was around $22 million.
Timmons told county officials that implementing a project of this size will require substantial cost and extensive financial planning. The firm also said the project timeline will span multiple years since there are dozens of planning, permitting, funding, land acquisition and construction hurdles to clear.
“The previous PERs (preliminary engineering reports) estimated a minimum project cost of $22 million, which only covered the WWTP (wastewater treatment plant), effluent main and a portion of the spray irrigation infrastructure,” Timmons said. “Additional costs are expected.
Additionally, escalation of construction costs since 2022 will continue to increase the overall project price.”
The current South Mills Township Wastewater Treatment Plant has a current capacity of 100,000 gallons per day and wastewater flows are currently well below design capacity, averaging 10,000 gallons a day.
“However, two major residential and commercial developments are planned within the South Mills WWTP service area that will add more than 2,000 homes and thousands of square feet of commercial space,” Timmons wrote in a letter to county officials. “(The) 15-year buildout demand is expected to be approximately one million gallons per day.”
The county also operates a “Courthouse Area WWTP” that is permitted for 50,000 gallons per day and in March was averaging 36,000 gallons a day.
“This plant serves the schools, so the numbers for the Courthouse Area WWTP are seasonal and do decrease in the summer months,” Burke said.
But with developments that are on the books and the anticipated growth in small exempt subdivisions predictions are the Courthouse Area WWTP in the future will be processing 108,700 gallons per day while the South Mills WWTP will be processing 256,000 gallons per day — both over their current permitted capacity.
Camden already has acquired land and has formulated design plans for expansion of the Courthouse Area wastewater plant.
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