Mebane and Orange County partner on West 10 Road water connector; council approves MOU

Mayor Hooks said the City of Mebane and Orange County are partnering on a new water-infrastructure project along West 10 Road to improve water quality, fire protection and system reliability in a growing industrial area.

"The project will construct approximately 2,000 feet of new 12-inch water main along West 10 Road, creating a looped water system between the Carolina Achieve Charter School and the Buckhorn Industrial Park," Mayor Hooks said. She said the connection will eliminate dead-end mains, improve circulation and increase fire-flow capacity in one of the city's highest-elevation areas.

Mayor Hooks said the total project cost is approximately $945,000 and that Orange County will fund 50% of the project under a partnership agreement with the city. She said the city has already budgeted $785,000 for the project but will need a budget amendment to cover remaining costs; the mayor reported the city's additional share is about $12,375 and that those funds are expected to come from the utility capital reserve fund.

During the council process, the city council unanimously approved the memorandum of understanding and the related capital project ordinances (referred to in the update as "Ordinance 2"). Mayor Hooks said construction bids were received in April and that a contract award is expected to go before the city council in June.

Next steps: City council action will include contract award consideration in June and implementation steps after procurement. The update did not include a contractor name, construction schedule, or engineered plans.