What the council authorized
The Durham City Council voted May 18 to authorize a contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates for professional engineering services on the Goose Creek Outfall Improvement Project. The work is concrete: upsize and replace approximately 15,100 linear feet of sewer main along the outfall corridor, and study whether the Geer Street Lift Station can be eliminated entirely. Total construction cost is estimated at approximately $30 million, split across two phases, with Phase 1 targeting completion in summer 2029.
Why the basin needed attention
Durham's Department of Water Management ran hydraulic models calibrated with field and flow data and found the Goose Creek Outfall running at full capacity. That finding pushed the project to the top of a 20-year Capital Improvement Plan focused on upsizing major sewer lines that can no longer handle current demand.
The Goose Creek basin sits in territory where the council has been approving new housing despite persistent concerns about flooding and strained infrastructure. Clearing the outfall bottleneck doesn't resolve every constraint in the area, but it addresses the one water managers flagged first.
What residents can expect next
Kimley-Horn had already started aerial surveying and alignment work under an existing on-call agreement before the May 18 vote. The formal contract accelerates that timeline. Phase 1 construction is set for summer 2029, with a second phase to follow.