Lake Lure Sewer System Replacement and Renovation Overview and Update
Lake Lure Sewer System Replacement Project Overview and Update
September 2026
The Town of Lake Lure is undertaking a major infrastructure initiative to replace and renovate its aging sewer system and wastewater treatment plant. This project addresses serious concerns with system reliability, environmental protection, and long-term service sustainability. The following summary outlines the project’s history, current progress, and future plans.
A. Historical Background
Lake Lure’s sewer system, originally constructed in 1927, is a subaqueous gravity-fed system (SASS) that uses submerged pipes to collect and transport sewage under the lake. It is the only system of its kind in North Carolina and one of very few in the United States.
This one-of-a-kind design has served the community for nearly a century, but the cast iron pipes and associated infrastructure are nearing the end of their service life.
B. Progress
The Town of Lake Lure continues to advance a long-term wastewater infrastructure improvement program aimed at replacing aging sewer facilities, reducing inflow and infiltration, improving environmental protection, and meeting NCDEQ compliance requirements.
A key component of this effort is the Town's Backshore Force Main (BFM) system, which was developed as a more practical and cost-effective alternative to the original Gravity/Lift Stations (GLS) replacement concept. Rather than relying on aging sewer lines and manholes (MH) located beneath Lake Lure, the BFM system replaces those facilities with a perimeter force main network, new pump stations, and upgraded conveyance infrastructure around the lake. This approach addresses some of the highest-risk portions of the existing system while significantly improving access for future maintenance, inspection, and repairs.
The wastewater improvement effort is highly complex and includes numerous interdependent efforts, including engineering and environmental permitting, regulatory approvals, funding availability, property acquisition and easement coordination, lake-level management, and construction sequencing. Much of the future work is dependent on planned lake drawdowns to safely access infrastructure within the backshore area, making implementation dependent on both funding and seasonal construction windows.
C. Recent and Current Work
Since Hurricane Helene, the Town's wastewater efforts have focused heavily on restoring and strengthening infrastructure that was damaged during the storm, particularly on the west side of Town where several critical sewer system components were heavily damaged or completely washed away by floodwaters.
Recovery work has included relocating and reconstructing vulnerable sewer infrastructure, replacing damaged manholes and sewer lines, installing new junction structures, and restoring service using more resilient designs. To date, the Town has completed nearly $3 million in permanent sewer system recovery work, restoring pre-storm functionality while improving long-term reliability and resilience.
The next major sewer recovery project is the MH 32 and MH 35-37 Sewer Replacement Project in the downtown area. Funded through FEMA Public Assistance disaster recovery funding, the project will replace vulnerable wastewater infrastructure that was damaged during Hurricane Helene while improving the overall resiliency and reliability of the system. Construction is currently anticipated to begin in October.
Separately, the Town is currently constructing a segment of the Backshore Force Main across the Lake Lure Dam, extending approximately 700 feet. This project was planned prior to Hurricane Helene and is not a disaster recovery project. Instead, it represents an important early phase of the Town's long-term wastewater modernization strategy and will serve as a foundational component of the future Backshore Force Main system. The project is being funded through the Town's remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation, which must be expended by the end of 2026.
D. Future Wastewater System Improvements
Beyond current recovery projects, the Town continues to advance planning, design, permitting, and property acquisition efforts for future phases of the Backshore Force Main (BFM) system. The BFM system will progressively replace portions of the Town's aging subaqueous sanitary sewer system with a more accessible and resilient collection system located around the lake perimeter.
Phase 1A Collection System Improvements represent the first major expansion of the BFM system and consist of approximately 11,600 linear feet of sewer lines and nine pump stations serving the Sunset Cove, Tryon Bay, and Snug Harbor areas. Specifically, Phase 1A includes approximately 8,100 linear feet of sewer infrastructure and four pump stations between the Dam and Sunset Cove, approximately 1,750 linear feet and two pump stations in Tryon Bay, and approximately 1,750 linear feet and three pump stations in Snug Harbor. These improvements are designed to replace aging lake-area infrastructure, retire some of the highest-risk components of the existing system, and reduce inflow and infiltration that contributes to operational and regulatory challenges.
Phase 1B Collection System Improvements are planned to serve the Charlotte Cove/Picnic Point, Grey Logs, and Ridge Cove/Edwards Point areas. The project includes construction of approximately 8,210 linear feet of force main and ten new wastewater pump stations. Charlotte Cove/Picnic Point includes roughly 2,490 linear feet of force main and two pump stations; Grey Logs includes approximately 3,350 linear feet of force main and five pump stations; and Ridge Cove/Edwards Point includes approximately 2,370 linear feet of force main and three pump stations. Like Phase 1A, these improvements focus on replacing aging infrastructure, reducing infiltration and inflow, and addressing areas that present significant operational and environmental risk.
In addition to collection system improvements, design of the Town's future wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is fully underway. The new facility is a critical component of the Town's long-term wastewater strategy and will provide modern treatment capabilities, improved operational reliability, and support for future collection system improvements.
The Town is actively working with impacted property owners to secure the easements and access agreements needed for future portions of the BFM system. Because these projects involve funding availability, environmental permitting, regulatory approvals, property acquisition, engineering design, and lake-level management requirements, implementation is a complex, multi-year effort. While planning activities are currently advancing, major shoreline construction associated with Phase 1A is not anticipated until the 2027-2028 lake drawdown season.
Phase 1A and Phase 1B represent important next steps, but they are only part of a broader long-term strategy. In addition to ongoing storm recovery projects, construction of key BFM infrastructure, and design of a new wastewater treatment plant, the Town continues to evaluate and plan future improvements throughout the wastewater collection and treatment system.
The overall goal is not simply to complete individual projects, but to modernize the Town's entire wastewater system over time. Through strategic investments in collection system infrastructure, treatment capacity, resiliency improvements, and environmental protection measures, the Town is working to create a wastewater system that is more reliable, easier to maintain, better able to withstand future storm events, and capable of serving residents, businesses, and visitors for decades to come while protecting the water quality of Lake Lure and meeting long-term regulatory requirements.
E. Community Engagement
The Town Council remains committed to transparency and keeping the public informed throughout the sewer system replacement and renovation project. Public forums and roundtable discussions have been held to share project details and gather feedback from residents. These efforts reflect the Town’s ongoing dedication to open communication and community involvement as the project moves forward.
