Camden water project still awaits state OK two months before the moratorium ends

CAMDEN, N.C. — Camden County submitted its clearwell plans to the state Aug. 28, but state reviewers have not acted on them. That leaves a key water project waiting less than three months before the county's moratorium on new subdivisions expires December 25, 2026.

Public Works Manager Chas Sawyer gave the update to the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 5. "Not a whole lot to report this month," he said, adding that he was "a little disappointed with the state."

"We were hoping that they would have our plan review done by now and we would have our authorization to construct for our clear well and we'd be talking about putting this project out to bid," Sawyer said.

A 90-day clock runs to Nov. 26

Sawyer said the state has a process under which a project is considered approved if reviewers make no comments within 90 days. Counting from the Aug. 28 filing, that date is Nov. 26, one month before the moratorium ends.

He said the county contacted the state after 30 days to ask whether reviewers had questions or concerns. The state told the county who was reviewing the plans, Sawyer said, and the county had not heard back from that reviewer.

The clearwell is an addition to the county's water treatment plant. It is funded with $3.94 million of the $10 million the General Assembly directed to Camden in 2023, the Tribune reported in August.

The plans were due to the state by Nov. 1.

"We were hoping that they would have our plan review done by now."

— Chas Sawyer, Camden County public works manager

DEQ is running the river model itself

Sawyer said the county also contacted the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality about the river model study. He said DEQ is running the model itself.

The county offered DEQ help, including training on how its consultant, Timmons Group, ran the model. Sawyer said DEQ declined and said it would contact the county if questions came up.

In August, DEQ told the Tribune it was still waiting on the final model from Timmons Group. The agency said it must review the model before it can set discharge limits for the county's proposed wastewater project.

Commissioners asked no questions after the update.

Water plant ran at 95% in August

Later that evening, Sawyer told the South Camden Water and Sewer District board that the water plant treated 21,127,000 gallons in August. That averages 681,516 gallons a day, 95% of the plant's capacity.

Crews replaced all 144 membranes in one of the plant's reverse osmosis trains the week before the meeting, work the board had approved. Sawyer said the train's output rose from about 460 gallons a minute to 510, which will cut run times and equipment wear but does not increase the plant's capacity.

The South Mills wastewater plant averaged 32,915 gallons a day in August, 33% of its 100,000-gallon capacity. The Courthouse-area plant averaged 25,490 gallons a day, 51% of its 50,000-gallon capacity.

What comes next

Commissioners adopted the 30-month moratorium on new subdivisions and multifamily development on June 25, 2024. It was meant to give the county time to add water and sewer capacity before new growth adds demand.

The board meets next on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Camden Public Library boardroom, 118 N.C. Highway 343 North.

Reporting note: This story is based on the Camden County Board of Commissioners' Oct. 5, 2026, meeting recording, including the South Camden Water and Sewer District meeting that followed, and on prior Camden Tribune reporting.

Continue following this story

• Camden's 30-month moratorium nears end. DEQ is still waiting on the wastewater model
• Sawyer says South Mills development could 'outrun' sewer plant as moratorium nears end
• Issue tracker: Development moratorium