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3 <br />~~~ ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY <br />A public, non ~~rofit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services <br />to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill communihj. <br />Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update <br />Executive Summary <br />July 17, 2009 <br />OWASA's draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update report identifies key recommendations <br />for meeting the expected water needs of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and the University of North <br />Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) through 2060. The drab report includes two principal findings: <br />1. Expansion of OWASA's Quarry Reservoir west of Carrboro continues to offer the most <br />cost-effective increment of additional supply and will provide full control of a substantial <br />amount of high quality water with minimal capital investment. An expanded Quarry <br />Reservoir is expected to meet most anticipated water supply needs for the 50-year <br />planning period. <br />2. OWASA should develop agreements with neighboring utilities to secure the permanent <br />ability to purchase or sell water under appropriate conditions of supply and demand. <br />Except for the expanded Quarry Reservoir, temporary purchases offer the most cost- <br />effective option evaluated, especially for the infrequent times and limited amounts of <br />water that may be needed during the next 25 years or more. Purchase agreements also <br />provide important mutual support when critical facilities are out of service due to <br />maintenance, equipment failure, severe weather, or other emergency conditions. <br />Continued participation in the recently established Jordan Lake Partnership will provide <br />important opportunities to develop such arrangements and to gain cost-effective access to <br />OWASA's Jordan Lake water supply storage allocation. <br />In developing this report, OWASA conducted a thorough review of the underlying assumptions, <br />including demand projections, supply/demand-side alternatives that were evaluated in its last <br />comprehensive water supply report, Water Supply: A 50-Year Vision for Carrboro, Chapel Hill, <br />and Southern Orange County (March 2000), and other alternatives that have been identified <br />since that time. Highlights of the update include: <br />All customer groups -residential, commercial, and UNC -have significantly reduced <br />their drinking water consumption in recent years. During the same time, OWASA <br />implemented permanent process water recycling at its Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment <br />Plant, began operating a new reclaimed wastewater system serving UNC, and <br />aggressively promoted conservation through seasonal and tiered rates and an ongoing <br />customer education program. New residential, commercial, and UNC development <br />projects are increasingly relying on non-potable and advanced water use efficiency <br />technologies to reduce their drinking water needs. <br />Page ~ ES-1 <br />400 Jones Ferry Road £geml Opportunity Employer Voice (919) 965-4421 <br />Carrboro, NC 2 711 0-200 1 Printed on Recycled Paper iv~~nv.omasa.org <br />