Water Department:

The Town of Liberty currently has 9 wells which produce 515 gallons per minute of fresh drinking water. Three above ground water storage tanks can maintain just under a million gallons of water in reserve. Liberty has many mile of various size water pipes throughout the Town ranging from 2" up to 12" in diameter. Besides delivering fresh water to our citizens, we also have 310 fire hydrants connected to our water distribution system. These hydrants are flushed and flow tested annually to maintain peak performance and excellent fire protection.

We treat our well water with hypochlorite solution (chlorine) as a disinfectant and sample it monthly for bacteria and other impurities in the distribution system. We also sample for other parameters issued by the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, North Carolina Division of Environmental Health and Natural Resources (NCDEHNR) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and meet all standards set forth for municipal water systems. We provide an annual consumer confidence report for our customers every May.

Wastewater Department:

Liberty has 12 miles of sewer lines (average diameter of 8 inches) running beneath our streets and aided by seven lift stations to move wastewater to our .5 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity wastewater treatment plant. We treat and irrigate with effluent water over 160 acres (8 zones) of land dedicated for this purpose. Our effluent spray irrigation permit is for up to 550,000 gallons per day but we normally treat about 220,000 gallons on an average day. The Town is currently working on a three phase inflow and infiltration project that will improve our current system. The overall project is scheduled to be completed early in 2006. We have a preventive maintenance program in place to maintain the system and also prevent any blockages.

Most Recent Wastewater Quality Report

Solid Waste and Sanitation Division:

Liberty provides for Town-wide solid waste/garbage pick up via contract services. Road side pickup is once a week--Tuesdays. The Town also offers a curbside pick up of brown and white goods; e.g., everything form carpet remnants to freezers, on Tuesdays. We normally remove and dispose of 2.5 tons of landfill material for our residents each week.

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Street Department:

The Liberty Public Work's Street Department maintains over 22 miles of municipal streets and approximately 8.50 miles of state road or a regular basis. The Street Department oversees the paving, storm water drainage, sidewalks and curbs. Liberty is in the process of a major street paving project around town. This three-phase, half-million dollar-plus project is scheduled to be completed by Fall, 2005. The public works department is also working on sidewalk renovation project. We have completed some major repairs and will continue to put sidewalk repairs and new sidewalks into our future plans.

The Street Department crews also provide for a year-round lawn debris pick up and a major leaf removal effort in the Fall (normally November thru January). You'll also see the Grounds Maintenance crews of the Street Department out mowing public areas; parks, green areas, municipal lawns, etc., around Town.

Fleet Maintenance:

The Town of Liberty has a full time maintenance technician employed to take care of minor maintenance requirements of the Town’s vehicles and equipment. Although a member of the Public Works Department with other street department and grounds maintenance responsibilities, he provides for the minor maintenance/up-keep of public works, police, fire and parks and recreation vehicles. He also maintains other equipment from weed eaters to commercial mowers to heavy duty road maintenance equipment.

Municipal Cemetery Division:

The Public Works Department also has the operation and maintenance responsibilities of the Town owned "Fairview Cemetery" on West Swannanoa Street. Inquiries concerning the cemetery should be made at Town Hall.