Mill Spring is an unincorporated community where N.C. 9 meets N.C. 108, a few miles northeast of Columbus. It takes its name from a sawmill and post office founded there by Colonel Ambrose Mills. Since the Tryon International Equestrian Center opened here, and hosted the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, horse farms and newer houses have joined the older farmsteads.
Utilities depend on the road. Polk County's water system, which buys water from the Broad River Water Authority, runs along main routes including the line from Green Creek to the Mill Spring crossroads; homes away from it are on private wells. Most homes are on septic. Enbridge Gas North Carolina runs a large pipeline from Mill Spring north to Arden, but that does not mean a gas main on every road, and propane is common.
Permits come from Polk County Building Inspections in Columbus. Gas Guys holds North Carolina license #L39015 and serves Mill Spring from its base in Spartanburg County, SC.
Mill Spring at a glance
- Natural gas
- Enbridge Gas North Carolina (limited); propane elsewhere. Enbridge Gas North Carolina runs a major pipeline from Mill Spring toward Arden and shows service in the community on the state map, but most rural homes here are on propane.
- Water
- Polk County water system along main roads; private wells elsewhere
- Sewer
- Mostly septic
- Permits
- Polk County Building Inspections
- Housing
- Farmhouses, horse farms with barns and outbuildings, older rural homes, and newer houses built since the equestrian center opened.
Plumbing and gas in Mill Spring: what to know
Barns, hydrants and long water lines
A horse property often has a long buried line out to a barn, frost-free yard hydrants and automatic waterers. Frost-free hydrants only work if they drain, so a hose left attached in winter can split one. A water bill or well pump that runs more than it should usually means a leak somewhere along those long lines.
Is there gas on your road?
The big transmission pipeline through Mill Spring is not a neighborhood main, and you cannot tap into it. Enbridge can tell you whether distribution service reaches your address. If not, propane runs the same kinds of appliances, with the tank and first regulator owned by your supplier.
Water heaters for a busy household
Farm houses with a mudroom, a barn bathroom or rental guests can outgrow a single tank. A tankless water heater sized for the household, or a second heater closer to the far fixtures, solves most of it. On well water, sediment builds up faster, and an annual flush keeps a tank or tankless unit working longer.
Heavy equipment and buried pipe
Trucks, horse trailers and tractors crossing a yard can crush a shallow water line or a drain line to the septic tank, and the damage may not show for weeks. Know where your water line and septic line run before you build a new gravel pad or turnaround. A soggy spot or a sudden slow drain after heavy equipment has been through is worth a look.