Frequently Asked Questions

Wastewater discharges (spills) can happen for a variety of reasons. Severe weather, extreme rain, flash flooding, tropical storms, and hurricanes can all cause unpredictable flow into wastewater treatment plants, which can cause issues regardless of a plant’s total capacity. Normal wear and tear on pieces or equipment or in a wastewater (sewer) main can sometimes cause spills. Accidents can also occur where an outside agency or individual inadvertently hits a wastewater line, causing a discharge. Moreover, wastewater facilities are simply not designed for the total incoming water from a tropical storm event, and it would be incredibly unaffordable to do so.

Brunswick County has staff and maintenance crews on call to assist with spills and remediation at any time and 24/7 monitoring systems at all its plants to help detect issues. Brunswick County issues public notices in compliance with NC DEQ requirements for discharges that include the amount and estimated cause of the spill, as well as the work being done to fix the issue.

Brunswick County has several capital projects planned or being constructed to expand wastewater capacity at our wastewater plants to accommodate or anticipate growth, including the expansion projects listed below.

Brunswick County has also dedicated significant time and resources to updating its 20-Year Wastewater (Sewer) and Water Master Plans to continue to plan for future anticipated growth and strengthen our utilities systems. These plans, along with the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan, which is updated annually as part of the budget process, help identify our utilities systems’ needs in relation to 
 population growth.

Brunswick County Wastewater Plant Expansion Projects

MGD = million gallons per day 

• West Brunswick Regional Water Reclamation Facility: 3 MGD expansion for a total of 9 MGD
• Shallotte/Mulberry Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant: 1.5 MGD expansion for a total of 2.75 MGD
• Northeast Brunswick Regional Water Reclamation Facility: 3.75 MGD expansion for a total of 8.725 MGD
• Mulberry Branch Water Reclamation Plant: Increase Shallotte Wastewater Treatment Plant’s capacity to accept 0.75 MGD of sewage flow from Southport into the West Brunswick Regional Wastewater System
• Ocean Isle Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant: 2 MGD expansion for a total of 3.05 MGD

Yes. Developers pay System Development Fees (SDF), which are one-time fees for new permitted developments joining either or both of the County’s utilities systems. These fees help cover the costs associated with increasing Brunswick County’s treatment and transmission system capacity to accommodate the projected growth and additional demands on the system. Additionally, developers are responsible for installing the water distribution piping and sewer collections systems to serve their development projects.

The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners recently approved an increase to the County’s water and wastewater system development fees as part of the current Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The Board approved an increase to 90% of the maximum impact for these fees incrementally by July 2025 as identified in the most recent SDF analysis report. These fee changes will support the systems’ needs attributed to population growth as outlined and supported in the 20-year Water and Wastewater Master Plans and the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan.

Brunswick County System Development Fees Outline and 3-Bedroom Home Example

State law provides little to no ability for local governments to issue temporary moratoria on development projects within their jurisdiction.

Local governments are barred from adopting temporary moratoria for the purpose of developing and adopting new or amended plans or development regulations that govern residential development projects. This aspect of state law is important to keep in mind whenever the County receives questions or suggestions to put a moratorium on residential development due to reasons like amending the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) or writing or updating plans.

Also keep in mind that every development project submitted to Brunswick County must undergo a thorough review process through the Planning Department and Technical Review Committee to address several areas such as impacts to infrastructure and the water and wastewater systems before it goes before the Planning Board for consideration.

Brunswick County already has several projects under construction or planned in the near future to expand capacity at our wastewater treatment plants. Many of these utility projects will be completed before several of the development projects that come before the Planning Board even break ground, ensuring that capacity will be available for both our current customers and these new customers well beforehand. Brunswick County also has also dedicated significant time and resources to updating its 20-Year Wastewater (Sewer) and Water Master Plans and 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan to continue to plan for future anticipated growth and strengthen our utilities systems.