Ground is broken on a groundbreaking sewer project

Construction began in November on the South Fork Phase II Regional Sewer project, a public-private partnership that will eventually replace two aging sewage treatment plants in McAdenville.

The $6 million project will take wastewater from the Pharr Yarns plant and from all municipal customers in McAdenville to Gastonia where it will be treated. A new pump station is being constructed along with more than 2 miles of new sewer pipes. When the project is finished in 12 to 18 months, wastewater from the town and from the textile facility will be pumped through the new pipes to Gastonia. It will be treated at Two Rivers Utilities’ Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, the region’s most advanced treatment plant.

Currently, Pharr Yarns has a 50-year-old, privately operated wastewater treatment plant. The Town of McAdenville has a 50-year-old municipal wastewater treatment plant that serves the community’s 680 residents. The two outdated treatment plants in McAdenville will be demolished in 2019.

The project is funded with grants and low-interest loans. Grants from the county, state and economic opportunity sources, including the Golden Leaf Foundation, cover 45 percent of the cost and do not have to be repaid. The remaining $3.3 million is funded by low-income loans from the State of North Carolina.

Officials from the funding agencies, as well as Pharr Yarns, Two Rivers Utilities, Gaston County, the Town of McAdenville and the City of Gastonia joined in the ceremonial groundbreaking on Main Street in McAdenville on Nov. 15, 2017.

Planning for the project began more than a decade ago. It is expected to benefit both the economy and the environment. Both Pharr Yarns, one of the area’s largest employers, and McAdenville will get increased wastewater treatment capacity. That can boost economic development opportunities for both the manufacturer and the town. The project will also improve water quality in the South Fork River. 

Dec. 12, 2017