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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: Februazy 16, 1999 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item # i a -d <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 PUBLIC HEARING: Yes No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): BUDGET AMENDMENT: Yes No <br />(under separate cover) INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Draft County Letter County Engineer Extension 2303 <br />Carrboro Letter <br />Chapel Hill resolution TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />OWASA Letter & attachments Hillsborough - 732-8181 <br /> Durham - 688-7331 <br /> Mebane - 227-2031 <br /> Chapel Hill - 967-9251/968-4501 <br />PURPOSE: To present to the BOCC: a) a report on Chatham County's request to access its Jordan <br />Lake water supply allocation through OWASA's Jordan Lake property and approved <br />water supply intake site as well as responses from the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro <br />to OWASA relative to that request; and b) for the Boazd's review, revision and approval a <br />draft letter from the BOCC to OWASA outlining the County's response to the Chatham <br />request. <br />BACKGROUND: On October 1, 1998, elected and appointed officials and staff from Carrboro, <br />Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Orange County and OWASA met with elected officials <br />from Chatham County at the OWASA offices in Carrboro to discuss utility, <br />planning and watershed protection issues of concern to all. The primary issue <br />discussed was Chatham County's inability to obtain a sufficient supply of raw <br />water from Jordan Lake through the existing intake structure, pumping system and <br />raw water mains on the east side of the lake (controlled by Cary and Apex). <br />Mazgazet Pollazd, Chair of the Chatham BOCC indicated that it was unlikely that <br />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 <br />solution apparent to Chatham would be for Chatham to withdraw water using the <br />approved intake site on the western side of Jordan Lake. She suggested that <br />Chatham County would be willing to participate financially in an OWASA project <br />to construct the intake structure and associated site infrastructure necessary to <br />provide raw water to Chatham in the near term and to OWASA customers in the <br />long term. <br />