Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
ANNOUNCEMENT <br /> <br />PUBLIC HEARINGS & PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD <br />FOR PROPOSED WATER SUPPLY NUTRIENT STRATEGY <br />FOR B. EVERETT JORDAN RESERVOIR <br />The North Carolina Division of Water Quality, on behalf of the NC Environmental Management Commission <br />is seeking public comment through August 14, 2007 on a set of proposed rules to control nutrientrnputs to B. <br />Everett Jordan Reservoir. Dates and locations for three public hearings are as follows: <br />PUBLIC HEARING 1 <br />Location: Century Hall @ The Century Center <br />100 N. Greensboro St. <br />Carrborro, NC 27510 <br />Date: Thursday, July 12, 2007 <br />Time: 6:30 p.m. <br />PUBLIC HEARING 2 <br />Location: Koury Business Center, Room 101 <br />Elon University <br />401 N. O'Kelly Ave. <br />Elon, NC 27244 <br />Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 <br />Time: 1:30 - 4:00 p.m. <br />PUBLIC HEARING 3 <br />Location: Koury Business Center, Room 101 <br />Elon University <br />401 N. O'Kelly Ave. <br />Elon, NC 27244 <br />Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 <br />Time: 6:30 p.m. <br />REASON FOR PROPOSED NUTRIENT RULES <br />B. Everett Jordan Reservoir in the upper Cape Fear River Basin serves as a drinking water source for the <br />growing communities of Apex, Cary, Durham, Morrisville, RTP, and Chatham County. In addition, the <br />reservoir is a popular recreational resource and supports a wide range of aquatic and water dependent wildlife. <br />Since its impoundment in 1983, the reservoir has consistently shown substantial nutrient over-enrichment. <br />The NC Environmental Management Commission, which is responsible for protecting and restoring water <br />quality in North Carolina, designated it a `Nutrient Sensitive Water' and required development of a nutrient <br />control strategy. Initial requirements reduced phosphorus concentrations in wastewater discharges to streams <br />in the reservoir watershed. Despite these measures, in 2002 the Upper New Hope Creek Arm of the reservoir <br />was found by the Division to no longer meet its designated uses due to excess nutrient inputs. The Division <br />made the same determination for the rest of the reservoir in 2006. The Commission has determined that <br />additional nutrient management actions are needed to recover the uses of Jordan Reservoir. In addition, the <br />Clean Water Responsibility Act of 1997, adopted by the NC General Assembly as S.L. 1997-458, includes <br />requirements to address water quality problems in Nutrient Sensitive Waters including Jordan Reservoir. It <br />mandates stricter nutrient concentration limits for point source discharges to these waters, and it directs the <br />Commission to establish goals for reducing overall nutrient inputs. Point and nonpoint, or stormwater runoff, <br />sources are to share proportionally in responsibility for reducing inputs. In addition, the reservoir's status as <br />impaired waters invokes federal Clean Water Act requirements to develop and implement nutrient loading <br />reduction goals for the reservoir in the form of a `total maximum daily load' (TMDL). <br />