GATESVILLE — The Gates County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, unanimously approved the acceptance of a donated parcel of land that will allow the county to move forward with plans to construct a new water supply well, addressing long-standing concerns about the reliability of the county’s aging water system.
County Manager Scott Sauer outlined the background and urgency of the issue for commissioners, noting that Gates County’s consolidated water system is nearly 50 years old. The system was formed in 2013 when the county merged with the Town of Gatesville’s water system at the town’s request. Gatesville’s system was built in the mid-to-late 1970s, while the county’s system dates to the early 1980s.
Today, the county operates 322 miles of water lines, serves more than 4,600 customer accounts, and relies on three groundwater wells located on Water Plant Road. The wells are arranged in a linear line, spanning only 2,300 feet from the first to the third.
Sauer said the limited number and configuration of the wells leaves the county with little margin for error.
“Three supply wells leave a narrow margin of error and no redundancy in terms of a back up supply,” he wrote.
He compared Gates County’s system to neighboring jurisdictions, which operate significantly more wells. Pasquotank County, for example, has 30 wells, while Hertford County operates 14. Chowan and Tyrrell counties each have eight wells, and Perquimans has nine plus three emergency-use wells. Gates County has only three.
One of those wells, Well 2, has become a major concern. Located on a 1.01-acre site at 420 Water Plant Road, the well is approximately 48 to 50 years old and extends 410 feet underground. It is encased in metal rather than stainless steel, which is now the industry standard.
Over time, deterioration caused a hole in the casing, allowing gravel packing stones to interfere with the pump. This damage jammed the motor and caused a short circuit, taking the pump offline.
During repairs, additional problems were discovered. When contractors attempted to reline the well with stainless steel casing, they found that the shaft was “not plumb” and had not been drilled in a true vertical line. Bent sections of the original casing prevented the new liner from reaching the appropriate depth.
As a result, Well 2’s production declined by 59 percent, from 489,600 gallons per day to 201,600 gallons per day.
Current production levels show Well 1A at 230,400 gallons per day, Well 2 at 201,600 gallons per day, and Well 3 at 705,600 gallons per day. Average daily demand ranges from 850,000 gallons in winter to 950,000 gallons in summer, with peak demand reaching 1.4 million gallons per day.
To help offset shortages, Gates County has two emergency interconnections with neighboring systems, providing up to 150,000 gallons per day each from Perquimans and Chowan counties.
Sauer said the most efficient solution is to drill a new well near Well 2. However, state regulations require a 100-foot setback, which cannot be met without extending the site’s rear property line by 45 feet.
The well site borders woodland owned by Parker Family Real Estate, LLC. Sauer and Public Utilities Director Brad Arnold consulted with County Attorney Pitt Godwin in January about acquiring the needed land. Godwin contacted the owner’s representative and explained the county’s situation.
During that conversation, the additional land—about 9,450 square feet, or roughly a quarter-acre—was offered as a gift.
On Wednesday, commissioners voted unanimously to accept the donation.
Sauer said the deed is expected to be recorded within the next week. The county is also preparing a new well permit application for expedited review by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and a preliminary site inspection was conducted on Feb. 5.
Sauer said he does not yet have an estimate of the land’s value but expressed hope that the donation will allow the county to restore lost water production and strengthen its system for the future.
