Cape Fear Public Utility Authority

What Cape Fear Public Utility Authority does

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) is a ratepayer-funded special-purpose unit of local government established in 2008 by consolidating the previously separate water and sewer operations of the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County. CFPUA provides drinking-water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, and customer-service functions across Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and New Hanover County, serving roughly 200,000 people through approximately 82,000 metered accounts.

CFPUA's physical plant comprises the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant (a 44-MGD surface-water facility treating Cape Fear River water for ~80% of customers, equipped with deep-bed Granular Activated Carbon filters installed in 2022 to remove PFAS compounds), the Richardson Water Treatment Plant (a groundwater facility in Ogden using low-pressure reverse osmosis upgraded from nanofiltration in 2020), and two water-reclamation facilities—Northside and Southside—supported by 1,200+ miles of water main, 1,100+ miles of sewer main, 10 water towers, 8,100+ fire hydrants, and 160+ pump stations. A state-certified laboratory processes over 70,000 water and wastewater samples per year. Operational scale is approximately 7.5 billion gallons of drinking water treated annually and 6.5 billion gallons of wastewater treated annually.

CFPUA's business model is a regulated monopoly: it operates at no profit and is funded entirely by customer rates (fixed monthly base charges plus volumetric consumption charges across water and sewer, with ancillary fees for grinder pumps, paper billing, and card processing) and by revenue bonds issued for capital projects such as the $43 million Sweeney GAC upgrade. Customer segments are residential (primary), commercial, and government; the commercial-government share is small relative to the residential base. In 2025 CFPUA consolidated the Town of Wrightsville Beach into its system, and the utility has accumulated multiple national recognitions including the 2025 AMWA Platinum Award, 2024 WEF Utility of the Future Today designation, and 2024 WRF Subscriber Impact Award.

Name

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority

Legal name

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority

Website

https://cfpua.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority is a ratepayer-funded public water and sewer utility serving roughly 200,000 people across Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and New Hanover County, North Carolina. It operates two water treatment plants, two water reclamation facilities, and over 1,200 miles of distribution mains, funded by regulated monthly rate charges and revenue bonds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL), Emergency Response & Sewer Repair (Blockages, Collapses) (EUANACAL), Industrial Wastewater & Effluent Treatment Services (BPALAHAD)

Keywords

• Water treatment services
• Wastewater reclamation
• Municipal water utility
• Public sewer services
• Drinking water distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewer Service Charges: CFPUA is a ratepayer-funded utility operating at no profit. Revenue comes from water and sewer service charges including fixed monthly base charges (Water Base, Sewer Base) and volumetric consumption charges (Water Consumption, Sewer Consumption). Additional charges may apply for irrigation meters, grinder pumps, or fire line services.
2. Bond Revenue for Capital Projects: Major capital projects such as the $43 million Sweeney Plant GAC filter upgrade are funded through the sale of revenue bonds rather than operating revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority is a ratepayer-funded public water and sewer utility that treats and distributes drinking water and collects and treats wastewater for approximately 200,000 residents across Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and New Hanover County, North Carolina. The utility operates two advanced water treatment plants (Sweeney and Richardson) and two water reclamation facilities (Northside and Southside), supported by a State-certified Laboratory, more than 1,200 miles of water mains, and over 1,100 miles of sewer mains. Additional customer offerings include grinder pump services, backflow prevention programs, and an emergency financial assistance program (CFPUA Assist).

Product overview

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) is a ratepayer-funded public water and sewer utility providing drinking water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment services across Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and New Hanover County, North Carolina. The utility operates two water treatment plants—the Sweeney Water Treatment Plant (sourcing from the Cape Fear River) and the Richardson Water Treatment Plant (sourcing from groundwater aquifers)—feeding a distribution network of over 1,200 miles of water mains and 10 water towers. Wastewater is collected through over 1,100 miles of sewer main and 160+ pump stations, then treated at two Water Reclamation Facilities (Northside and Southside). Supporting these core infrastructure products, CFPUA offers a suite of customer-facing digital services including a Customer Self-Service Portal for account management and payments, QuickPay one-time payments, paperless billing, a Notify Me alert system, and the Water Works customer newsletter. Specialized offerings include grinder pump systems, a backflow prevention program, the CFPUA Assist financial assistance program, and online water quality and PFAS testing reporting. The utility also maintains an interactive GIS-based Service Line Inventory. CFPUA's largest recent infrastructure upgrade—the Sweeney Treatment Enhancements Project—installed deep-bed GAC filters at Sweeney to address PFAS contamination, and in 2025 completed the consolidation of Wrightsville Beach's water and sewer system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Water Service Treated drinking water provided to residential customers through fixed monthly base charges plus volumetric consumption charges, billed monthly and delivered via more than 1,200 miles of water mains and 10 water towers.
• Residential Sewer Service Wastewater collection and treatment for residential customers through fixed monthly base charges plus volumetric consumption charges, collected via more than 1,100 miles of sewer mains and 160+ pump stations, treated at Northside and Southside Water Reclamation Facilities.
• Commercial Water and Sewer Service Water and sewer service for commercial customers including restaurants, hotels, and commercial facilities, including fire line services and backflow prevention requirements.
• Grinder Pump Systems CFPUA-owned grinder pumps operated and maintained for homes in difficult terrain areas where gravity sewers are infeasible, with a $15 monthly service fee in addition to normal gravity sewer rates.
• Backflow Prevention Program Testing, installation, and inspection of backflow prevention assemblies on irrigation systems and commercial properties to protect public water quality.
• CFPUA Assist (Neighbors Helping Neighbors Financial Assistance) Emergency financial assistance program administered in partnership with New Hanover County Department of Social Services, providing one-time aid for CFPUA water and sewer bills to customers in need.
• Customer Self-Service Portal Online portal for account management, bill viewing and payment, recurring payments setup, paperless billing enrollment, and monthly water usage analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Treats and distributes more than 7.5 billion gallons of clean drinking water each year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Town of Wrightsville BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Utility consolidation bringing Town of Wrightsville Beach water and sewer infrastructure into CFPUA's system. Includes $23.5 million in planned infrastructure investments and $11 million water/sewer mains project under Intracoastal Waterway. All Town water and sewer employees offered positions at CFPUA.
• Adams-Robinson Enterprises Inc.majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2022Construction contractor awarded $35.9 million contract for GAC filter construction at Sweeney Water Treatment Plant.
• New Hanover County Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2008Partnership to administer CFPUA Assist program providing emergency financial assistance for CFPUA water and sewer bills to customers in need. The program, called 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors,' provides one-time financial aid for bill payment based on need.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Charlotte Water: Municipal water and wastewater utility serving Charlotte, NC — direct geographic and operational peer to CFPUA as another large NC ratepayer-funded utility with similar treatment, collection, and consolidated governance model.
• Raleigh Water (Public Utilities): Ratepayer-funded water and sewer utility serving Raleigh, NC. Closely comparable in service model, public-utility authority structure, and North Carolina regulatory environment.
• JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority): Community-owned utility providing water, wastewater, and electric service to Jacksonville, FL — comparable as a multi-utility municipal authority on the Atlantic coast facing similar coastal, growth, and consolidation dynamics.
• Durham County / City of Durham Water Management: North Carolina municipal water and sewer utility serving Durham — closely comparable in scale, treatment approach, and NC regulatory framework.
• WSSC Water: Bi-county water and wastewater utility serving Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland — directly comparable as a regulated regional public water authority serving a defined metro service area.

Broad incumbents

• DC Water: Large regional water and wastewater utility for Washington, D.C. — comparable as a public-utility authority with advanced treatment, federal-area compliance, and major capex programs, though at substantially larger scale.
• American Water Works Company: Largest publicly traded US water and wastewater utility serving 14M+ people across multiple states — relevant comparable for utility operations and treatment practices, but privately held rather than publicly owned like CFPUA.

Regional players

• Hillsborough County Water Resources Department: County-level water and wastewater utility serving Hillsborough County, FL — comparable in scale, coastal exposure, and PFAS-related treatment challenges, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CFPUABoard
• Xx.com/cfpua

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cape Fear Public Utility Authority