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Utilities - Access & Cost
Providers
Retail electric service is provided to consumers in North Carolina by investor-owned utilities (IOUs) and university-owned utilities subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, electric membership corporations (EMCs), and municipally-owned electric utilities. A customer obtains electric service from the utility providing service to that area. The Commission regulates all aspects of service provided by the IOUs, but does not regulate the retail rates of EMCs or municipally-owned electric systems.
Five electric utilities serve Beaufort County, they are: Washington Electric Utilities, Tideland Electric Membership Corporation, Duke Energy Progress, Town of Belhaven, and Dominion Energy.
Washington Electric Utilities
Washington Electric Utilities serves 12,000 customers. Its service area encompasses much of the Washington area north of the Pamlico River, including Washington Park, Bath, Pinetown, and Terra Ceia, and extends into portions of Martin and Pitt counties. The distribution system contains 388 miles of lines. Washington is a member of ElectriCities a membership organization including public power communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Tideland Electric Membership Corporation
Tideland Electric Membership Corporation is a not-for-profit cooperative born from the merger of four electric utilities. Tideland EMC serves more than 22,000 metered services in Dare, Hyde, Beaufort, Washington, Pamlico and Craven counties. Tideland EMC is a member of Touchstone Energy® a national alliance of local, member-owned electric cooperatives that do business with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy, serving the southwest corner of the County, is one of the largest publicly traded electric power holding companies in the United States, supplying and delivering electricity to approximately 7.4 million U.S. customers. Duke has approximately 52,700 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Carolinas, the Midwest and Florida.
Town of Belhaven
The Town of Belhaven primarily serves the town with electricity through its public utilities department. Belhaven is a member of ElectriCities a membership organization including public power communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy, serving the northwest corner of the County, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 26,200 megawatts of generation and 6,600 miles of electric transmission lines.
Cost Estimate
To estimate the cost of electricity the utility company will need the following information:
- Electricity Infrastructure:
- Voltage requirement
- Frequency
- Phases
- Amperage
- Peak demand (real power)
- Peak demand (apparent power)
- Power factor (kilowatt-hour [kWh] / kilovolt-ampere [kVA])
- Electricity Consumption:
- Average consumption monthly
- Average consumption annually
- Load factor
- Significant power users
- Hours of operations per day
- Shifts per day
- Days per week
- Redundant electric power source
Please provide this information to Beaufort County Economic Development, so they can acquire a cost estimate for the location(s) your company is considering.
Piedmont Natural Gas
On October 3, 2016, Duke Energy acquired Piedmont Natural Gas, which now operates as a business unit of the company. The transaction added Piedmont's 1 million natural gas customers to Duke Energy's existing customer base of 525,000 natural gas customers and 7.4 million electric customers. In addition to providing natural gas to Beaufort County homes and businesses of all sizes, Piedmont Natural Gas sells, installs and repairs natural gas appliances and equipment for homes and businesses.
Cost Estimate
To estimate the cost of natural gas the utility company will need the following information:
- Average consumption:
- Hourly
- Daily
- Monthly
- Annually
- Redundant natural gas source
- Meter size
- Pressure at delivery
- Interruptibility
Providers
The communities of Washington, Aurora, Bath, Belhaven, Chocowinity, and Pantego provide municipal water and sewer. Beaufort County provides water to most other parts of the County.
City of Washington
The City of Washington Public Works Department provides Water and Wastewater utilities through its Water Resources and Water and Sewer Divisions. Groundwater is treated at the Washington Regional Water Plant treats water so that it meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State permit standards. The Water Plant not only serves residents of the City of Washington, but also the Beaufort County water districts.
Washington's nationally-recognized Wastewater Treatment Plant treats wastewater from homes, businesses and industries so that it meets EPA and State permit standards. This plant not only serves residents of Washington, but also the Town of Chocowinity, Cypress Landing and Fountain Power Boats.
Other activities in support of water and sewer services include maintaining and repairing the water distribution and wastewater collection systems; constructing water mains and sewer lines; installing water and sewer connections to new homes and businesses; maintaining fire hydrants; and for testing, repairing, installing and replacing customers' water meters.
Town of Aurora
The municipal wastewater system is equipped to handle residential and business sanitary wastewater only.
Town of Bath
The Town of Bath Municipal Wastewater System is equipped to handle residential and business sanitary wastewater only.
Town of Belhaven
The Town of Belhaven Municipal Wastewater System is equipped to handle residential and business sanitary wastewater only.
Town of Chocowinity
The Town of Chocowinity Water and Sewer Department provides water and sewer to town and surrounding area.
Town of Pantego
The municipal wastewater system is equipped to handle residential and business sanitary wastewater only.
Beaufort County
The water for Beaufort - Northside (Districts I, II, III, IV, and V and Whichards Beach Road) is purchased by the Beaufort County Water Department (BCWD) from the City of Washington. This water comes from eight ground wells that have been installed into the Castle Hayne Aquifer. These wells, located 5 to 10 miles east of Washington, pump raw water to the City of Washington's Water Treatment Plant, which is located near the Douglas Cross Road Area. The water is then treated to remove odor, iron, manganese, and hardness by the City of Washington Public Works Department. It is then pumped by BCWD to the various water towers across the County. During the pumping process BCWD adds ammonia. This ammonia combines with the chlorine, added by the City of Washington, to make chloramines, which is a type of disinfectant.
The water for Beaufort -Southside (Districts VI and VII) comes from six ground wells that have been installed into the Castle Hayne and Pee Dee Aquifers. These wells are located along Highway 33 East, 5 to 10 miles east of Chocowinity and along Old Sandhill Road. These wells pump raw water to two water treatment plants, which are also located along Highway 33 East and Old Sandhill Road. At the treatment plants, the water is treated to remove odor, iron, manganese, and hardness. Chlorine and ammonia combine to form chloramines, a type of disinfectant. The treated water is stored in three elevated storage tanks and one ground storage tank.
A chloramine residual is maintained throughout the distribution system to prevent bacterial growth.
Cost Estimate
To estimate the cost of water and sewer the utility company will need the following information.
Water Estimate Information
- Average consumption
- Daily (average)
- Daily (peak)
- Monthly (average)
- Annually(average)
- Redundant water source for:
- Meter size
- Internal water treatment
Sewer Estimate Information
- Average consumption
- Daily (average)
- Daily (peak)
- Monthly (average)
- Annually (average)
- Meter size
- Water Pre-treatment
Republic Services
Beaufort County currently contracts with Republic Services to provide disposal of the county's solid waste. Republic Services handles approximately 14,500 tons of waste annually and employs approximately 45 employees in Beaufort County. Republic Services maintains eleven convenience sites throughout the county and a transfer station on Flanders Filters Road. Attendants are present at all sites to direct and maintain the sites, but all convenience centers are self-service.
Businesses can also contract with Republic Services or other waste companies to dispose of for a fee their solid waste from business operations.
Communications & Internet Service Companies
- CenturyLink
- Frontier
- SuddenLink
- TriCounty Telecom