Plans for upgrades to the county’s wastewater treatment facility at WaterWays Townhip will soon move forward after a decision by the Bryan County Commissioners Tuesday night.
The commissioners approved 3-1 to allow County Administrator Phillip Jones and County Engineer Kirk Croasmun to proceed with the facility design and open for bid the design and permitting contracts.
Commissioner Jimmy Henderson cast they nay vote after his motion to table the matter died for lack of a second. Henderson asked the commissioners to table the matter because he felt there were some unanswered questions.
The changes will include upgrading the facility from its current 200,000 gallon-per-day capacity to a 1 million gallon-per-day capacity. It is being funded by tap in fees.
The upgrade would take place in two phases. The first phase of the project would expand the treatment facility by 500,000 gallons per day, and the second by another 500,000 gallons. Commission Chairman Jimmy Burnsed said the upgrades would not begin for likely five years due to the two-year time period it takes to obtain permits.
Burnsed said by moving forward with the plans for permitting and design only, WaterWays Township would allow other developers to use their 667 taps to hook into the wastewater treatment facility.
“They want to make sure that if we use all 667 taps they’ll have taps in the future and the only way we can do that is by expanding,” Burnsed said.
Burnsed said developer Bryan Land and Timber (BLT) wants to start a new development adjacent to Henderson Park. Allowing BLT to hook into this line, he said, is a way of putting people back to work.
“As everybody knows we need new development in Bryan County,” Burnsed said. “It’s time to move out of this recession stage and see people moving dirt again and this will allow BLT to start moving dirt and they want to start this summer.”

Read more in the March 17 edition of the News.