$1.6 million for water & sewer improvements

Town of Murphy to expand water and sewer to Regal Road and Pleasant Valley Road

By Frank Bradley
Sentinel writer

Failing septic systems in the Pleasant Valley Road and Regal Road areas are contributing to high fecal coli form counts in areas streams and pose a serious threat to drinking water sources, but some big money provided to the county and town of Murphy could be just the remedy.
On Monday, both the Town of Murphy and Cherokee County approved a joint resolution to lay a 6,700 linear feet public water line along those roads and a 12,000 linear feet wastewater collection line between Valley River and U.S. Highway 19 and also along Regal and Pleasant Valley roads.
Since the Town of Murphy’s wastewater treatment plants have enough capacity to meet its existing water and wastewater demands, it can expand its system to construct and add these new lines to its system.
Earlier, Cherokee County applied for grants to expand this system, which involves three grants: an $800,000 CDBG-R grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, a $500,000 grant from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and a $300,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). All totaling $1.6 million. This improvement is being entirely with grant funds, requiring no local matching monies.
Once the system is completed, it will be turned over to the Town of Murphy, which will provide potable water and accept the additional collected wastewater and shall be entitled to receive all revenue derived and received from the operation of this system.$1.6 million for water & sewer improvements