BRUNSWICK COUNTY — County commissioners will vote on the removal of two defunct water tanks — one in Carolina Shores and the other in Bolivia — at a Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday afternoon.
According to the county’s director of public utilities, John Nichols, the old tanks have not been in use “for years” and represent potential safety issues.
“The one in Bolivia has been there for a very long time. I’m not sure how old it is. There is potential that it could fall,” Nichols said.
And due to its location “out in the woods” where county employees do not make routine visits, there is the threat of people climbing the tank and injuring themselves, according to Nichols.
The tank in Carolina Shores, meanwhile, does not represent such a safety threat because of its visible location on Country Club Road.
“But it’s not serving any purpose there,” Nichols said, adding that the town of Carolina Shores has expressed interest in using the property.
He said that Brunswick County originally acquired the tank in the early 2000s. But after connecting its water lines to county lines, the tank’s lines were no longer able to “float,” meaning water couldn’t go up and down due to lower pressure.
Since the county’s water system ran at higher pressures than the town’s own water system, and because the tank was not at an appropriate elevation to adapt to a higher pressure system, the county decided to disconnect the water tank.
Carolina Shores Town Administrator Jon Mendenhall said the town is planning to develop the property into a park, South Park, which will have a picnic shelter, horseshoe pit, pickleball court, and dog park.
“It’s exciting for us – after 20 years of the town having no parks, we have three parks in the matter of a year,” Mendenhall said.
The town built an open-aired music venue last winter, hosting its first concern in June, and plans to build East Park on Thomasboro Road with a layout mirroring South Park’s.
The official item on the meeting’s agenda reads: “Request that the Board of Commissioners approve the selection of D. H. Griffin Companies, Inc., for the demolition and removal of two elevated steel water tanks located in Carolina Shores and Bolivia.”
Mark Darrough can be reached at Mark@Localvoicemedia.com
