On November 6, 2006, the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners approved an Agreement between the Town of Sunset Beach and Brunswick County for the construction of a wastewater collection system that would serve the areas within the Town without sewer service available.

Under the terms of the Agreement, the County agreed to design, apply for permits, and construct a sewer collection system that can provide sewer service to those lots within the corporate limits of the Town of Sunset Beach. The County also agreed to apply for permits and construct any and all transmission mains needed to transport wastewater from the sewer collection system described above from the Town to either a County-owned pump station or County-owned wastewater treatment plant. Wastewater generated within the sewer collection system will be treated at a County-owned facility. All facilities constructed under this Agreement will be owned, operated, and maintained by the County.

In the Agreement, the Town and County agreed that the property owners who receive benefit from the project would be assessed their proportionate share of the cost of the project. Property owners will not be assessed until all work is completed and the total cost of the project known. The County will provide the construction financing for the project and property owners will have three years to pay their assessment after notification of the assessment amount.

Property owners with an existing structure that connects to the new wastewater collection system within one year of sewer service being made available will not be required to pay normal County Capital Recovery Fees and Sewer Transmission Fees. Property owners who connect after that one year period will be required to pay normal County connection fees. Also, all properties who connect to the new system will pay the same sewer rates as all other County residential customers.

The County requested proposals from engineering firms for the design of the improvements associated with the Sunset Beach Wastewater Collection System Project. After the Consultant Section Committee reviewed all of the proposals received, URS Corporation - North Carolina was selected to design the project. The Board of Commissioners approved a contract with URS Corporation on March 19, 2007. The design of the wastewater collection system is underway and is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2008.

• Sunset Beach Wastewater Collection System Map

• Connection to a Vacuum Valve Pit - .pdf
• Connection to a Low Pressure Sewer Main - .pdf
• Connection to a Gravity Sewer Main - .pdf
• Grinder Pump Station Homeowner Information - .pdf file

• Sunset Beach Wastewater Collection System Schedule

1. WHEN WILL SEWER SERVICE BE AVAILABLE?
In 2007, Brunswick County entered into a contract with URS – North Carolina, a national consulting engineering firm, to design the wastewater collection system within the Town of Sunset Beach. The design of the improvements has been divided into four separate contracts. The design of the mainland portion of the project and grinder installation portion of the project has been completed and all required permits obtained. The design of the vacuum system for the island portion of the project has been completed. The vacuum pump station and force main design will be completed by July 31, 2009. Permitting for these two contracts will commence upon completion of the final design.

Bids will be received on the mainland portion of the project in August 2009 with work expected to start in October, 2009. Bids are expected to be received on the vacuum system contract and the pump station and force main contract in December with work to start in January 2010. The County will place mains in service when completed and all construction activities are expected to be completed by January 2012.

2. HOW WILL THE ASSESSMENT AMOUNT FOR MY LOT BE DETERMINED?
The property owners who receive sewer service as a result of this project will be assessed their proportionate share of the cost of the total project cost. At this point in the project, we do not know what the total cost of the project will be. Also, the Board of Commissioners has a number of options in determining how to allocate the total cost among the property owners receiving service. Under North Carolina law, the Board can allocate cost based upon the number of lots receiving service, the front footage of the lot on the street, the size of the parcel, or any combination of these methods. The Town of Sunset Beach Town Council has recommended to the County Board of Commissioners that the per parcel method be used. At this time, the Board has not made a decision on what method will be used to allocate the cost to the individual lot. All lots will be assessed using the same method.

3. WHAT TYPE OF SEWER SERVICE WILL BE PROVIDED TO MY LOT?
Depending on the area, sewer service will be provided by a vacuum type collection system, low pressure sewer system, or a gravity collection system. Sewer service on the island portion of the project will be provided using a vacuum type collection system. For this type of system, property owners will connect to a sewer service connected to a vacuum valve vault. For properties served by a low pressure sewer system, a service line that terminates in a valve box located at the property line will be installed. If the property owner desires to connect to the sewer system, a grinder pump station will be constructed on their property and the property owner would connect to the grinder pump station. For properties served by a gravity sewer main, the property owner will connect to a sewer service located at the street right-of-way or easement line.

4. WILL PROPERTY OWNERS BE REQUIRED TO CONNECT TO THE SEWER SYSTEM WHEN SERVICE IS AVAILABLE?
Brunswick County will not require existing homeowners to connect to the sewer system when service is available. During the first year of sewer service availability, Brunswick County will waive the Capital Recovery Fee for all existing homeowners who connect to the system. After that one-year period, property owners connecting to the system will be charged the Capital Recovery Fee (currently $4,000) in effect at the time of connection. For those properties served by a low pressure sewer system, an additional grinder pump installation fee (currently $4,000) would be charged.

5. WHAT RESPONSIBILITIES WILL THE HOMEOWNER HAVE IF THEY WANT TO CONNECT TO THE SEWER SYSTEM?
Brunswick County will be responsible for constructing all of the sewer mains, force mains, and pump stations that will provide sewer service to the property. The homeowner will be responsible for contracting with a licensed plumber to disconnect the existing main that goes from the house to the septic system and connect that main to the sewer service installed by the County. The homeowner will also be responsible for abandoning the septic system in conformance with the Town’s code. For homes that will be served by a low pressure sewer system, the homeowner will also be responsible for connecting the grinder pump station to the house electrical system.

6. HOW LONG WILL A PROPERTY OWNER HAVE TO PAY THE ASSESSMENT?
Based upon the current schedule, the property owner will not receive their assessment until sometime in late 2010 or early 2011. Brunswick County has agreed with the Town of Sunset Beach Town Council’s request for a 10-year period for property owners to have to pay their assessment. The County Board of Commissioners has also approved a reduction of 5% for those property owners who pay their assessment in full within 30 days of the notice of assessment. Property owners that pay after the one-year period will pay up to 8% interest on the unpaid balance of the assessment (the interest rate is yet to be decided).

7. HOW WILL PROPERTY OWNERS BE IMPACTED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS?
Most construction that will occur as a result of this project will be conducted within the street rights-of-way. Property owners who have constructed improvements within the right-of-way such as shrubbery and landscaping will be given an opportunity to relocate their shrubbery or landscaping in advance of the construction.