Map of the future Ivanhoe water system. The winning bid for construction of the project will be announced at Monday night’s county commisioners’ meeting.
Ivanhoe will be one step closer to getting county-wide after Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, where a bid for the project is expected to be approved.
Awarding the bid comes ater two years of applications, environmental tests, engineering plans, and a setback last month when the winning bid was not announced because there were not enough bids for the project.
Earlier this week, public works staff went on their own campaign mission, notifying, door-to-door, people in the the Ivanhoe community that Monday would begin sign-up for water service.
Public Works Director Mark Turlington explained, “Monday, my men put out yard signs in the Ivanhoe community, and fliers in stores, to let people know that there would be a community meeting Nov. 7, at Ivanhoe fire station. There we will explain the project and, hopefully, start signing people up (for water service) that day.”
At the sign-up event, public works representatives will provide a timeline of construction to operational service, go into detail of what applications need to be completed, and explain the project, overall, while signing up new customers.
The sign-up has to happen before construction begins so county officials will know how many homes will be connected to the new water system. Anyone who signs up for water will not have to pay out-of-pocket for the cost themselves.
Turlington said new customers in the Ivanhoe community have until Jan. 7, 2025 to register as a new customer. Anyone signing up after that date will have to bear the expense of connecting to the main line, which could cost between $1,500 to $2,000 per customer.
“It’s free,” said Turlington of the early sign-up. “We’ve never done anything like this deal in Sampson County, so it wouldn’t be wise not to sign up … get everything completed before January, unless you just want to pay for it yourself.”
But residents do not have to go to the Harrells Fire Department to sign up. This coming Monday, public works staff will be out in the community placing door hanger packets on the doors of residents who qualify for the free connection. Turlington said the application for service will be inside the door hanger packet.
In 2022, the county applied for a grant to help pay for the cost of installing water lines in the southern end of the county. By September 2022, the grant was approved, adding $17 million in State Capital and Infrastructure Fund grants and American Rescue Plan Act grants, along with the roughly $13 million in state funds for the future Ivanhoe project. In total, the grants and special appropriations totals $48.6 million.
According to Turlington, construction on the Ivanhoe project is expected to begin sometime mid-January or early February 2025, with a completion date of no later than December 2026, as stipulated by the grant.
“We’re not anticipating it taking that long, but it does have to be finished by then” added Turlington.
The public works director also said about 350 households in the project zone are expected to be signed up for the water connection, and the homeowners do not have to pay for the connection.
The water main extensions in the Ivanhoe area will connect residents along Lisbon Bridge Road, Harrells Highway (Hwy 411), Longview Lake Road, Clear Run School Road, Firetower Road, Wildcat Road, Hoover Road, Alpine Church Road, Dr. Kerr Road, Trestle Road, Ivanhoe Road, G. Shaw Road, Barnhill Road, Eddie L. Jones Road and McKoy Loop Road.
“It should not affect traffic in those areas,” Turlington remarked. “Maybe a little, but we will be burying the line on the side of the roads, so we’re not expecting any closures.”
The Sampson County Commissioners’ public meeting begins at 6 p.m., in the county auditorium, located in building A of the county complex, 435 Rowan Road, Clinton. The winning bid for the Ivanhoe project will be presented during that time. The public is invited to attend.