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March 3, 1999 <br />Mr. Daniel C. VanderMeer <br />Chair, Board of Directors <br />Orange Water and Sewer Authority <br />P.O. Box 366 <br />Carrboro, N.C. 27510-0366 <br />Dear Mr. VanderMeer: <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners offers the following comments <br />regarding the local water supply and water quality protection issues discussed at the <br />October 1, 1998 meeting involving Orange and Chatham Counties, the Towns of <br />Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, and OWASA. <br />Clearly, our region's explosive population growth makes it imperative that all <br />local jurisdictions work together to protect the quality of our natural resources and <br />promote the most environmentally sound usage of those resources. <br />Orange County is located in the upper portions of a number of important and <br />environmentally sensitive water supply river systems. Consequently we are acutely <br />conscious of the need to be judicious in our efforts to be good stewards of our water <br />resources, and of the need to work with governmental entities within and adjacent to <br />Orange County to develop strategies and accomplish goals consistent with that <br />stewardship. <br />In accordance with this philosophy, the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />commends OWASA on its efforts to bring together stakeholders in local water supply <br />matters to discuss issues of mutual concern. Relative to the issues raised at the October <br />1st meeting, the Board of County Commissioners recommends that OWASA work with <br />Chatham County, in consultation with the authority's constituent governments, to: <br />-- Refine the emergency water supply agreements and infrastructure connections <br />required to assure that customers dependent upon Chatham County and OWASA receive <br />an uninterrupted supply ofhigh-quality water during emergency situations; <br />-- Explore the use of OWASA's intake site to provide immediate access to Jordan <br />Lake water supplies for Chatham County while preserving future access for OWASA. <br />The Orange County Board of Commissioners is ready to join all existing and <br />potential users of Jordan Lake water supplies in studying, developing, and implementing <br />effective watershed and water quality protection strategies. The Orange County Board of <br />Commissioners is similarly ready to work with Chatham County to discuss, develop and <br />implement enhanced watershed and water quality protection strategies for University <br />Lake water supplies. <br />If I may provide any additional input or staff assistance, please contact me at your <br />earliest convenience. <br />