Beaufort County Public Works Director Christina Smith got the go-ahead to guide the county forward in several projects meant to boost service and quality of the county water system.

Smith presented updates on several projects at Monday’s regular Beaufort County Board of Commissioners meeting most of which centered on water.

The county has been approved by the State Drinking Water Infrastructure Authority for a $2.25 million grant and a $750,000 loan at 0-percent interest to build out the Southside water treatment plant and construct a new well on the treatment plant site. The project will provide more water capacity to serve District 1 (and back up the City of Washington) via the river crossing constructed in 2015.

A second funding package — $1,453,500 grant and $484,500 loan at zero interest — was approved for another project in Pantego Township. This project would include the replacement/rehabilitation of the Gaylord Booster Pump Station and Braddy Valve Station in Terra Ceia.

“Hydraulically, it is needed to better maintain the water quality in that part of the county,” Smith told commissioners at the meeting.

By a vote of 5-2, longterm Beaufort County water system consultant McDavid Associates Inc. was awarded a contract with the county to install 3,300 linear feet of water line to serve Hysucat Boats located just east of Bath. McDavid Associates was one of three qualification packets received for the project and was selected because of its knowledge of Beaufort County’s water system. The county applied for and received a $337,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce to pay for the project.

Commissioners Ed Booth and Ron Buzzeo voted against the contract award, with Buzzeo citing past problems from a prolonged water system project on the south side of the river. Buzzeo sought confirmation that McDavid Associates would be overseeing subcontractors directly and would hold them accountable.

“We don’t run into the same issues that we ran into before,” Buzzeo said.

Another water system contract to maintain the county’s water storage tanks was approved unanimously to Southern Corrosion Inc., a company based out of Roanoke Rapids. The budgeted amount for tank maintenance in last year’s budget was $160,000 — at a contract worth $158,448, there were no new funds budgeted for the contract.

A potential project could change the relationship between the county water department and its customers for the better. Smith requested commissioners approve a study as to whether it makes sense to move from a direct-read water system, meaning a person visits each meter and records measurements, to an advanced metering infrastructure. AMI is an integrated system of smart meters, communications networks and data management systems that provides two-way communication between utilities and customers, such as when there’s a leak at a residence — the system would notify water department staff, who would then notify the customer.

“It could save that customer from having water leak for 20 days before they get their bill,” Smith.

A 7-0 vote by commissioners approved $83,675 for MeterSys Inc. to embark on the Advanced Metering Feasibility Study to be started May 1.