Sewer Asset Inventory and Assessment Grant

At a glance

• What: a $400,000 state AIA grant funded a Withers Ravenel study of the city sewer system.
• Where it stands: presented at the September 14, 2026 briefing for information.
• Next: the consultant recommended about $500,000 a year for mains and $250,000 for manholes, annual GIS and cost updates, coordination with NCDOT paving, and active pursuit of grants and low-interest loans.

Scope of the study

• GIS update, condition and risk analysis, and an asset management plan.
• A ten-year capital improvement plan: five rehabilitation projects from CCTV data, CCTV inspection phases, 50 poor-condition manholes, plus pump station and plant items.

Findings (from the auto-captions)

• About 228 miles of gravity main, 125,000 ft of force main, about 4,900 manholes and 27 pump stations.
• About 40 percent of mains and manholes are in high or very high likelihood-of-failure categories, mostly by age in the older central city.

Recommendations

• About $500,000 a year for mains and $250,000 for manholes.
• Annual GIS and cost updates.
• Coordination with NCDOT paving.
• Active pursuit of grants and low-interest loans.

Discussion time

About 23 minutes across 2 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Log

• 2026-09-14 - Council Briefing - Withers Ravenel presented AIA results, ten-year capital plan and life cycle funding recommendations.
• 2026-09-09 - Public Services Committee - Resolution accepting Withers Ravenel's findings and confirming the $400,000 grant was spent correctly moved to briefing with presentation and action; staff to circulate the large asset management plan.