On Thursday, October 3, 2024, the Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County (WSACC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of Phase 3 of the Rocky River Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion. This milestone marks a significant enhancement in the plant's capacity, increasing from 26.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to 30 MGD, ensuring continued support for the region's industrial, commercial, and residential growth.
The event gathered over 75 staff and elected officials from across Cabarrus County, the WSACC board and staff, along with representatives from Crowder Construction and Brown & Caldwell Engineering.
Chad VonCannon, Executive Director of the Authority, opened the ribbon cutting with his remarks, noting the collaboration and partnerships that made this phase of the expansion so successful.
“This project is on time and under budget,” said VonCannon. “That’s not something that a lot of projects can say, especially post-Covid. It took partnerships with our board, a great engineer and contractor, DEQ and the support of our elected officials. This project is a textbook example of what happens when you get the right team with everyone aligned and working toward the same goal.”
VonCannon then introduced North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director of Legislative Affairs, Shrikar Nunna, who provided remarks on behalf of the department.
“We’ve had a great partnership with WSACC,” Nunna shared in his remarks. “We really appreciate their proactive planning. We’re not going to keep seeing the economic growth and development in our state if we don’t have proper infrastructure.”
Following Nunna’s remarks, Kannapolis City Manager and WSACC board chair Mike Legg expressed what this project meant to the municipalities across the County.
“The expansion is not just about wastewater treatment capacity,” said Legg. “This project is crucial for supporting our local economy, attracting private sector investments, creating jobs and fostering a more resilient infrastructure for our future.”
Legg then introduced Senator Paul Newton, a key partner in securing state funding for WSACC wastewater projects including phase three of the expansion and regulatory reform to bring more wastewater capacity online.
Senator Newton shared with attendees that Cabarrus County is a lifecycle county where residents can receive a great education, jobs and healthcare. “If we stop prospering as a county and as a state, people and jobs will go elsewhere,” Senator Newton said. “Wastewater is essential for enabling smart growth.”
Following the remarks, the event speakers, key WSACC leadership, representatives from Crowder Construction and Brown & Caldwell joined staff from the Cabarrus Chamber on stage to officially cut the ribbon and celebrate the completion of phase three of the expansion.
Following the ribbon cutting, attendees were offered golf cart tours of the plant to see the areas of the expansion and the construction already underway in phase four.
Unprecedented rainfall and rapid growth experienced in 2018 prompted the WSACC to work diligently with engineering consultants to expand the plant and develop a plan for the future. With the completion of this phase, the plant now has an additional 3.5 MGD of capacity, with phase four of the expansion already underway to increase capacity another 4 MGD for a total of 34 MGD. This phase is currently expected to come online in 2027.
The Water and Sewer Authority of Cabarrus County is an independent, incorporated, public body funded by user fees with no taxing authority supporting Cabarrus County. The Authority serves as the primary planning agent for water and sewer facilities, provides wholesale wastewater transportation and treatment for its organizing jurisdictions, and provides reservoir management for some, or all, of its jurisdictions. To learn more, visit www.wsacc.org.