Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ORANGECOUNTY 1 <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: March 3, 1999 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item # /0-4 <br />SUBJECT: Report on Chatham County's request to access its Jordan Lake water allocation <br />through OWASA's Jordan Lake property and approved intake location <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />(under separate cover) <br />Draft County Letter <br />Carrboro Letter <br />Chapel Hill resolution <br />OWASA Letter & attachments <br />PURPOSE: <br />PUBLIC HEARING: Yes No <br />BUDGET AMENDMENT: Yes No <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />County Engineer Extension 2303 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough - 732 -8181 <br />Durham - 688 -7331 <br />Mebane - 227 -2031 <br />Chapel Hill 967- 9251/968 -4501 <br />To present to the BOCC: a) a report on Chatham County's request to access its Jordan Lake water <br />supply allocation through OWASA's Jordan Lake property and approved water supply intake site as <br />well as responses from the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro to OWASA relative to that request; and <br />b) for the Board's review, revision and approval, a draft letter from the BOCC to OWASA outlining the <br />County's response to the Chatham request. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />On October 1, 1998, elected and appointed officials and staff from Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, <br />Orange County and OWASA met with elected officials from Chatham County at the OWASA offices in <br />Carrboro to discuss utility, planning and watershed protection issues of concern to all. The primary <br />issue discussed was Chatham County's inability to obtain a sufficient supply of raw water from Jordan <br />Lake through the existing intake structure, pumping system and raw water mains on the east side of the <br />lake (controlled by Cary and Apex). Margaret Pollard, Chair of the Chatham BOCC indicated that it <br />was unlikely that the equipment in the existing intake system could or would be upgraded to meet <br />Chatham's raw water demands. Ms. Pollard also indicated that the most viable solution apparent to <br />Chatham would be for Chatham to withdraw water using the approved intake site on the western side of <br />Jordan Lake. She suggested that Chatham County would be willing to participate financially in an <br />OWASA project to construct the intake structure and associated site infrastructure necessary to provide <br />