Minutes - 19860325 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

In answer to a question from Commissioner Carey, Commissioner Lloyd indicated that if industrial growth occurred in the I-85 corridor, Orange County usage would be considerably more than Alamance County. Evelyn Poole-Kober raised the question concerning a conflict of interest in that Mr. Lloyd was on the Board of County Commissioners and the Board of Directors for Orange-Alamance Water System. Lloyd responded the two were not competing but were working together to obtain needed water for citizens of Orange County. STATEMENT BY OWASA Everette Billingsley, Executive Director for OWASA presented the statement included in the permanent agenda f le in the Clerk' s Office. Commissioner Lloyd asked about the difference in the dilution rate for Hillsborough and OWASA. Ms. Kirk responded that dilution flow is a minor factor adding that the hydraulic characteristics of the receiving streamare much more important. Lloyd expressed concern that he really did not understand this answer. Don Cox presented the following statement as president of the Association for the Preservation of the Eno River Valley, Inc. He indicated that the Association has over 500 members who are residents of Durham and Orange Counties and they are dedicated to the preservation and well-being of the Eno River. Chair Willhoit interrupted at this point to inform the public and Board members that with the time still needed to complete the discussion on water, he felt insufficient time would be left for the public hearing on Scotswood. He asked for a date for continuation of the Scotswood public hearing. No agreement could be reached for a continuation date so the meeting resumed. Cox continued with a review of the history of the water situation. He noted that as far back as the 1930s and 1940s the Soil Conservation Service and Corp of Engineers identified a number of potential reservoir sites that were available in Orange County and in the Chapel Hill area. He noted that most of those identified were not protected or reserved and were, therefore, no longer available as reservoir sites. In the 1960s and 1970s the Soil Conservation Service offered to assist Chapel Hill in developing sedimentation control measures for the watershed of University Lake to extend its capacity and useful life. No interest was expressed for such measures by Chapel Hill. Cox continued noting that 1977 was a minor drought year and OWASA proposed a pipeline to Hillsborough. In the summer of 1977, Hillsborough was not supplying water to Chapel Hill and the Orange- Alamance System was drawing considerably less than . 6 mgd. There were approximately eight weeks of no flow over Lake Ben Johnson and the estimates were that Lake Orange was drawn down to about 50% of its capacity. Without the number of customers now served, the entire yield of the basin was being used and half of the storage capacity. Cox stated he had met twice with the OWASA Board during the period of