Lee
The Ivanhoe county water project is slated to begin construction in the spring, according to the latest statement by Assistant Director of Public Works, Ashley Holland.
In a press release scanned and posted on the Sampson County website, Holland provided an update on the progress of the Ivanhoe water project.
“Many have asked when construction will start on the Ivanhoe Water Project,” Holland’s statement read. “As of now, the Authority to Award (ATA) from NCDEQ DWI will happen toward the end of February. Once the ATA is given and the construction contract is executed, we are looking at a time line of middle to late March. The general contractor should then start construction late April early May.”
NCDEQ is the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and DWI is the Division of Water Infrastructure.
The statement noted that updates will be provided as milestones are accomplished, but added, “These time lines are mostly consistent to the original time lines given, but are subject to change due to any delay of approval by NCDEQ DWI.”
In an earlier statement about the status of construction in the Ivanhoe area, Sampson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Allen McLamb reassured the residents of Ivanhoe that things were beginning to take shape.
“This is going to happen,” he attested. “They are going to get more than most people, and get some benefits that others have not (in the past),” he reassured, noting that with all the rules and regulations sometimes government projects move slow. “It doesn’t move as fast as I wish it would, but once we start putting the water lines in, they’ll (Ivanhoe residents) see it’s real.”
Sampson County Commissioner Lethia Lee, who represents Ivanhoe, said everything is moving as planned, noting that she receives updates regularly to ensure that it is.
“Last week I talked to the water department (staff), as I do every week,” Lee said Monday when reached by telephone. “The water project is going according to schedule, and I am really happy the water is finally coming to Ivanhoe. Government is government, you have to wait — because you can’t lay pipe or move forward until procedures are met and we execute the process.”
She mentioned her gratefulness to the people of District 4 for putting her in a position to help make things move forward.
“We have a lot of work still to do right now,” she added, and assured when information becomes available about the Ivanhoe project she will let the community know. “When I know, they will know, because they need to be informed,” Lee attested.
While Holland couldn’t be reached for comment directly, updates on the project can be found online at sampsoncountync.gov .