Ivanhoe poised to ‘transform’

Governor Roy Cooper on Tuesday visited the diminutive but driven Sampson County town of Ivanhoe, where a rather large water infrastructure grant award was recently received that residents hope will see the town transformed for decades to come.

Cooper, along with Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, came to the Judy Memorial Family Center, located at 2281 Ivanhoe Road, Ivanhoe, on Tuesday afternoon in the wake of a $13 million grant award that will bring the development of a new water system to provide potable water service to the area.

“All North Carolinians deserve safe and clean drinking water,” Cooper stated. “This investment will help families and business owners in Ivanhoe have confidence that this community will continue to grow and thrive.”

Cooper and Biser participated in a briefing with participants to discuss the clean water infrastructure investment and significance to Ivanhoe, which local officials said was decades in the making.

“DEQ created a funding opportunity, but it was the residents of Ivanhoe who saw how this grant could change their lives and organized to petition the county to apply,” said Biser. “This is a terrific example of the community and the county working together to achieve transformative change.”

Currently, Ivanhoe does not have a water distribution system. This investment will provide Sampson County with $13,283,000 to design and construct a new public water supply system in the Ivanhoe area. The water supply system will create 40 miles of new water lines, connect over 350 homes and includes the connection fees for each home.

Board of Commissioners Chairperson Sue Lee, County Manager Ed Causey, Commissioner Lethia Lee and Ivanhoe residents, including Russell Devane and Ed Gillim, were each on hand to give comments as were many others to take in the occasion.

“Sampson County has worked for years to develop our water system, despite having been told that it simply couldn’t be done,” Sue Lee stated. “That’s the hallmark of our great county — making the seemingly impossible, possible. We owe a debt of gratitude to those commissioners who years ago had the courage to pursue a countywide water system, to those throughout the years who have endeavored to develop it, and certainly the State of North Carolina for their generous funding that enables us to now expand it to serve the citizens of Ivanhoe.”

A funding application was submitted to the state in the spring to request funding for the project. On Aug. 24, the Letter of Intent to Fund was sent to the county, stating that $13,283,000 of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act was awarded to Sampson County. The ARPA funding will be 100% grant on all eligible project costs.

The project will require the development of a water supply and water distribution system. Water main extensions proposed as part of the initial project will be identified to stay within the project budget, with engineers anticipating that future projects will be required to build out the system and offer water service to other residents who desire a connection.

“One of the reasons I wanted to serve as a county commissioner is to do my part to address the great needs of small communities such as Ivanhoe,” said Commissioner Lethia Lee. “We are so grateful for the generosity of the State, we are grateful for the work of our County staff and our engineers to design this system, but most importantly, we are grateful for the strength, resilience and determination of the Ivanhoe residents who never gave up hope that we could make it happen.”

The need and desire for public water was one that has echoed throughout the years, however an earnest effort mobilized in recent years and months that saw public outreach peak and a bevy of Ivanhoe residents voicing their concerns at county board meetings.

Some of those residents spoke Tuesday to the governor, including Gillim. who led the charge with others in obtaining the grant.

He attested that bringing public water to Ivanhoe would promote growth.

“It is very big (that the governor is visiting) and people are very excited about it,” he said prior to Tuesday’s visit. “This is going to promote growth and possibilities. Water brings businesses and businesses bring people.”

According to state officials, the intent to fund is contingent on approval of the loan through the Local Government Commission and on meeting several milestones. A timetable was provided giving insight on how residents should expect the project will be phased in.

It is expected that an engineering report will be submitted by Dec. 1, 2022 and approved by May 1, 2023. A bid and design package will then be submitted by Nov. 1, 2023 and approved by March 1, 2024. The project can then be advertised, with bids received, bid information submitted and the authority to award granted by July 1, 2024. Construction contracts can be executed by Aug.1, 2024.

On average, North Carolina invests about $200 million annually in the state’s water infrastructure. North Carolina will be investing $2.3 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure in communities across the state, the governor said.

In July, $789.4 million in water and wastewater infrastructure funding was announced to help pay for 385 projects statewide, including 140 construction projects. To date, 86 counties are receiving funds to upgrade their water infrastructure. The funding comes from ARPA funds, state reserve funds and state budget allocations.