Orange County NC Website
88 <br /> Planning Board member Best inquired about loss through <br /> infiltration. Johnson indicated the loss was possibly 100, 000 gallon- <br /> s. The question of the safe yield of Seven Mile Creek was asked of <br /> Johnson who indicated that the safe yield would be increased from 1.7 <br /> to 2 .2- 2 . 3 . The water in Seven Mile Creek would be used as a backup <br /> reservoir. <br /> Chair Willhoit noted that the County had some preliminary <br /> engineering done in the past and a reservoir could be built on Seven <br /> Mile Creek with the potential of 6 or 7 mgds. <br /> STATEMENT BY ORANGE-ALAMANCE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS, INC. <br /> In the absence of the president of Orange-Alamance Water, Inc. , <br /> Commissioner Ben Lloyd presented the statement. <br /> Lloyd stated that Orange-Alamance Water, Inc. is a private, non <br /> profit organization which began in 1967. There are approximately 1950 <br /> customers and it was organized basically to serve medium to low income <br /> areas in Orange County. The plant is located on the Eno River west on <br /> Highway 70. The lines go west on Highway 70 near to the Alamance <br /> County line. The lines then go around Mebane on the north side back <br /> to Highway 70 and west to near Back Creek. From a point just west of <br /> Mebane, the lines go southwest to cover an area up to Swepsonville. He <br /> noted the rates were approximately double those of Hillsborough and <br /> Mebane. He continued that approximately 2/3 of Orange-Alamance <br /> customers and drainage area is in Alamance County in the Cape Fear <br /> Basin. An agreement has been reached with the Town of Hillsborough to <br /> replace 2 meters which would make it possible to pull water from <br /> Burlington through the Orange-Alamance system to Hillsborough. He <br /> stated that Orange-Alamance can pledge total cooperation to Hillsbor- <br /> ough, Orange County and Chapel Hill to increase water supply. He <br /> noted the system had been in operation approximately 19 years and <br /> there are repairs to be made. If water comes from Burlington, it must <br /> come through the Orange Alamance system. He expressed again the <br /> willingness to cooperate in any way to help provide Orange County with <br /> the needed water supply. He noted that as far as financing, the Board <br /> of Orange-Alamance would have to act. <br /> Chair Willhoit asked if there had been any discussions with <br /> Burlington in transferring that part of the system in the Cape Fear <br /> over to another entity or in obtaining water from Burlington so that <br /> it does not result in an inter-basin diversion. Lloyd responded that <br /> no thought had been given to inter-basin transfer. <br /> Commissioner Marshall inquired what percentage of the customers <br /> were in Alamance County and the answer was 2/3 in Alamance and 1/3 in <br /> Orange. She expressed concern that Orange County would be subsidizing <br /> Alamance County customers. Commissioner Lloyd responded if a new <br /> reservoir came to Orange County the water would be used by all of the <br /> County and if it would provide water for good clean industry, the <br /> entire county would benefit. Marshall continued that Alamance County <br /> would also be receiving the same benefits and she felt it was not <br /> legal for one County' s citizens to subsidize those of another county. <br /> Lloyd responded he was concerned with this thought since the County <br /> was possibly trying to pull water from Alamance County. <br />