Orange County NC Website
_ ~ ~~ <br />.' A RESOLUTION REQUESTING ORANGE COUNTY <br />TO PARTICSPATE WIxH THE TOWi~ OF HILLSBOROUGH IN <br />THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RE5ERVOIR AT SEVEN MILE CREEK <br />._. ,; <br />WHEREAS, water is a fundamental life-sustaining resource, necessary far :. <br />the general welfare of all Orange County citizens, and vital to the ecologi- <br />cal and economic needs of the area; and <br />WHEREAS, it has been estimated that there will be a projected def icit of <br />water supply ranging from 7.3 to 11.6 million gallons per day (MDG) shortly <br />of ter the year 2000 (Water Supply Study, S-3); and recognizing that the needs <br />of the future may continue to over-tax the present sources of supply and storage <br />(Capacity Use Inv., p.10); and <br />WHEREAS, under low rainfall conditions, there is insufficient instream <br />flow in the Eno River to assure adequate aquatic habitat, human recreational <br />potential, and acceptable aesthetic standards (Capacity Use Inv., p.I4); and <br />WHEREAS, the present insuff iciency of long--term water resources and the <br />uncertainty regarding their development has created a disincentive for in- <br />vestment in areas of the County which are zoned for industrial growth; and <br />WHEREAS, an estimated 80% of the Orange County tax base is composed of <br />residential property owners, whose ever-increasing tax burden might be <br />lessened by providing adequate and dependable water resources far industries <br />seeking to locate in the region; and <br />WHEREAS, a.dependable, safe and economical source of water to meet the <br />present and future ecological and human needs of Orange County has been of <br />critical concern to each citizen of the County; and, the Orange County Board <br />of Commissioners have indicated their desire to study and consider all reason- <br />able alternatives and proposals that seek to address those needs(Capacity Use, <br />p.29); and <br />WHEREAS, the assessment of these alternatives has suggested the designa- <br />tion of the Eno River basin as a capacity use area, resulting in an allocation <br />policy potentially detrimental to economic development and cumbersome to <br />administer; and <br />WHEREAS, short-term supplies of water through the proposed Durham pipeline <br />represent a significant cost to taxpayers and consumers, without addressing <br />the long--term. needs expressed in the various studies; and <br />WHEREAS, the management and governance of said pipeline may present <br />considerable obstacles for zoning, as well as maintenance problems related <br />to extended tap-on use; and <br />WHEREAS, the adoption of other transfer systems, such as the use of <br />water from Jordan Lake represents an initial cast of more than 20 million <br />dollars, and a cost per-gallon of $3.12 (nearly three times that of the <br />Revised Seven Mile Creek Reservoir Project, herein proposed); and <br />