Agenda 05-28-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Orange County ;� :•_: Water Resources Project . .~ c%Environment and Resource Conservation Department Jim 306 Revere Road PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278-8181 Dr. Steve Halkiotis, Chair Board of County Commissioners PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Dr. Halkiotis: I wish to thank the Orange County Board of Commissioners for the,creation of this Water Resources Committee, and for the opportunity to serve as chairman. It is the hope of the committee that the information obtained from the USGS investigations will be used in the comprehensive planning process to assist the citizens of Orange County in achieving a sustainable use of our groundwater resources. To focus on a few key points that should be of general interest, I offer the following comments: 1. Let us put to rest the myths of an underground river or lake from which our groundwater resource is obtained. The ground water in Orange County is found surrounding the particles of soil and weathered rock and in cracks in the underlying rock formations. The water-saturated depth varies seasonally, and with multi-year wet or dry conditions. 2. Each well is surrounded by a "recharge area" that varies depending upon geology, topology, and surface use. Changes in land uses from forest and fields generally result in greater compaction of the soil and allow lower recharge rates .of rain and snowfall to the groundwater. Storm water runoff retention structures can improve the recharge where it has been changed by impervious surfaces and compaction caused by roads, driveways, and lawns. These recharge areas also need to be protected from contamination by petroleum products, chemicals, fertilizers and, septic tanks. Once contaminated, it may be impossible to clean up in one's lifetime - or more. 4