Less than a month after Stanly County settled its lawsuit against Union County and the town of Norwood over the transfer of water from Lake Tillery, three engineering firms have been contracted for completion of the project.

Although additional legal opposition awaits Union and Norwood for the inter-basin transfer (IBT) that Union County Public Works will use to meets its increased demand for water, approximately $16.7 million has been earmarked for the design and construction of the Yadkin Regional Water Supply Project.

The YRWSP project is a collaborative effort between UCPW and the town of Norwood to provide a new water supply source to Union County. Norwood is also set to gain new infrastructure. The project addresses how to meet Union’s growing population’s demand for water for 2020 and beyond.

It includes a new water intake and pump station on Lake Tillery in Norwood, approximately 28 miles of pipeline from the intake to a new water treatment plant in Union County, a 12 million gallon per day (MGD) water treatment plant and approximately 11 miles of pipeline connecting the new water treatment plant to Union’s  existing water distribution system. The contract calls for as much as 23 MGD be diverted from Tillery to Union.

Montgomery County and the Yadkin Riverkeeper are challenging the state’s decision to issue the IBT.

One of the objections relates to the project’s lack of notice to affected stakeholders. Union County failed to adequately notify The Stanly News & Press and The Montgomery Herald, each county’s respective newspaper of record, so stakeholders could participate in the process and before the issuance of the IBT.

A hearing regarding the matter is scheduled for later this month.

Garney Companies, Inc. was awarded $6.4 million to design and plan the new water intake, pumping station and a 28-mile raw water pipeline, which will connect to the new drinking water plant.

CDM Constructors, Inc. was awarded nearly $7 million to design and plan the drinking water treatment plant and an 11-mile drinking water transmission main.

At a contract of more than $3.2 million, HDR Engineering will serve as UCPW’s  project manager.

Contact Ritchie Starnes at 704-754-5076 or ritchie.starnes@stanlynewspress.com.