Pender County staff propose $1M pilot fund from settlement to help residents install wells

County staff on the Pender County Board of Commissioners’ budget workshop proposed creating a local revolving well fund using settlement money to help residents who lack safe public water.

The county manager said staff had identified about $1.3 million from a settlement and proposed setting aside $1,000,000 to start a pilot revolving fund. "We have about 1,300,000 coming in from that settlement, and so we would propose to start with 1000000 dollars," the county manager said, outlining a plan to offer financing for deeper wells and connections.

Why it matters: staff estimated high-end installation and connection costs at about $15,000 per well but suggested costs could be lower with volume contracting. At $15,000 per well, $1,000,000 would fund roughly 66 wells; using the full $1.3 million could fund roughly 90. The county manager framed the plan as a self-sustaining pilot: borrowers would repay monthly and the county would place a lien on property to secure repayment.

Staff from utilities said they would require program rules, including connection requirements if public water later becomes available and meter installation primarily to enforce repayment: "We would likely put a meter on the well, not to charge you a water use, but if you quit paying your bill, then we could turn the water off," the county manager said.

Board reaction: several commissioners praised the innovation. Commissioner Dr. Tate called the idea "really innovative" and recommended starting in clustered areas to test repayment and operational details before scaling. Commissioners noted the pilot would not reach every household in need but could be a targeted, replicable solution.

Next steps: staff said specifics remain to be worked out (amortization periods, interest, eligibility criteria and oversight) and asked the board for direction during the budget process. No formal board action was recorded in the transcript; staff said the fund concept would be included in budget materials for further review.