CNW Sewer Authority

About the Authority

The Coeburn-Norton-Wise Regional Waste Water Treatment Authority (CNW) was organized in 1987 as a cooperative effort of the Town of Coeburn, City of Norton, and Town of Wise. A six-member board governs the authority, with two members appointed by the council of each member municipality.

Current Staff & Budget

The CNW currently has a staff of 10 full-time employees and one part-time employee and operates with a budget of approximately $1.8 million per year, including debt service.

A Regional Approach to Wastewater Treatment

All three municipalities were each facing regulatory mandates and other difficulties in operating separate wastewater treatment facilities, which were to varying degrees considered as inadequate.

By taking a regional approach, CNW qualified for project financing with a 0% interest rate through the Virginia Resources Authority. Total project costs were about $17 million, including a treatment plant with a 6.5 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) capacity. Approximately $7 million of the construction costs was expended for the plant, with the remainder used for installation of an interceptor line from Wise and Norton to the plant as well as engineering and other associated construction costs.

A service agreement, dated July 10, 1989, between the member municipalities and the Wise County Board of Supervisors, sets forth the allocation of capacity in the regional system.

State Recognition

The Coeburn-Norton-Wise Regional Waste Water Treatment Authority was recognized as the Virginia Rural Water Association’s Wastewater System of the Year in 2002.