The Valdese-Lenoir project, a multi-million dollar initiative to connect the City of Lenoir and the Town of Valdese through a water transmission main under Lake Rhodhiss, is currently in the developing and design phase with an estimated completion timeframe of 2026-2027. The project received state funding and McGill & Associates has been contracted for engineering services. The interconnection will provide redundancy for both water systems and offer backup support in case of emergencies. In addition, Valdese is also undertaking a separate infrastructure project involving the replacement of the Cline Avenue pump station piping with a new force main, valve vault, and improved system.