Court lifts injunction, construction of H2GO reverse osmosis plant to resume

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — A judge’s ruling has ended a nearly three year long battle over a water utility and planned reverse osmosis plant in northern Brunswick County.

On Monday, Judge Charles Henry lifted the stay on a permanent injunction, which means Belville can return the assests of H2Go to H2Go and allow the water utility to resume construction on the reverse osmosis plant.

The decision comes a little more than two weeks after the judge heard a motion filed by Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer H2Go and the Town of Belville, asking the court to lift the stay.

“We are excited to be able to begin the process of bringing our communityh2golean, safe water without raising water rates,” said H2GO Executive Director Bob Walker. “We plan to pick up construction of the RO Plant as soon as the Judge approves the transfer documents and plan and Belville and H2GO approve and sign these documents.”

Before the hearing, the Town of Leland filed a response opposing the motion based on ‘continuing illegality’ by Belville and H2GO.

The Town of Leland has maintained that the transfer of H2GO assets to the Town of Belville in 2017 was illegal and believes Belville should be held responsible for the legal fees Leland incurred in addressing that illegality.

“The Town of Leland has always maintained that the assets in questions belonged to H2GO and were never rightfully those of the Town of Belville,” Leland Communications Officer Hilary Snow said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that it has taken three years in legal proceedings for those assets to be returned to their rightful owner.”

Leland has spent approximately $950,000 in legal fees.