Brunswick County drops lawsuit over Northwest Water Treatment Plant delays

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick County has rescinded a lawsuit it filed in July against construction contractor Oscar Renda Construction, surety Zurich American Insurance Company, and Federal Insurance Company, officials announced Monday.

The lawsuit accused the contractor of failing to complete its obligations under the contract for the $167.3 million expansion and reverse osmosis water treatment upgrades at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant. While the county dropped the lawsuit on Monday, leaders say they reserve the right to refile in the future.

In the meantime, the project’s surety is expected to be on-site in the coming weeks to identify unfinished tasks and help develop a new project schedule. The surety has also hired a management group to provide additional oversight.

County officials said there are no expected increases to water rates and no changes to the original project cost, though liquidated damages may be deducted due to delays. Work has not stopped at the plant, but major milestones have not been met, pushing completion further into the future.

“Brunswick County will continue to take all actions necessary to protect the best interests of our residents who have waited far too long for a solution to removing PFAS from our drinking water,” the county said in a statement.