Agenda - 09-16-1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE CONSERVATION OF WATER O1 E DURING A WATER SHORTAGE, RESTRICTING THE USE OF WATER AND WATER WITHDRAWALS, AND ALLOCATING AUGMENTED STREAMFLOW FROM RESERVOIRS. WHEREAS, University Lake is a significant source of raw water from which the Orange Water and Sewer Authority supplies water to Orange County; and WHEREAS, a critical water supply condition exists on the upper Eno River with only Lake Orange to rely upon in times of drought as a significant reserve water source for (a) supplying Hillsborough, Orange Water and Sewer Authority, and Orange Alamance, and for (b) augmenting streamflow in the Eno River to assimilate waste discharge from the Town of Hillsborough Wastewater Treatment Plant; and WHEREAS, the level of both University Lake and Lake Orange must be managed to insure that Orange County citizens have essential supplies of water in these reservoirs can extend the time and availability of suplies for all users during critical periods; and WHEREAS, some degree of demand reduction and cooperation by the users of the water in these reservoirs can extend the time and availability of supplies for all users during critical periods; and WHEREAS, no user has the right to withdraw a disproportionate share of the augmented flow nor reduce natural streamflow such that other downstream riparian needs and instream needs cannot be satisfied; and WHEREAS, General Statutes Section 153A-121 authorizes owners of stored water to set rules to govern water allocation during drought periods; and WHEREAS, Orange County has developed conservation rules and an allocation plan based upon monthly raw water withdrawal records, modeling of streamflow conditions as have existed over a 40 year period by the North Carolina Division of Water Resources, and calculation of the 7-day 10 year low flow at Lake Ben Johnston. NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes Section 153A-121, ORDAINS: ARTICLE 1. Water Shortage and Withdrawal/Conservation Restrictions. A. While water is flowing over the Lake Orange spillway normal con- ditions will be deemed to exist with no withdrawal or conserva- tion restrictions to be enforced. A water shortage shall be declared to exist with respect to Lake Orange, whenever the level of Lake Orange reaches the second of seven stages shown on Table 1, or whenever emergencies develop such that citizens cannot be supplied with water to protect their health, safety and welfare without curtailing the water demand. Conservation measures and a limit on withdrawals shall be insti- tuted upon reaching the alert stage and made more restrictive through successive stages of drought in an effort to prolong the availability of water. Each public water user must make allow- ance to pass below its intake facilities the prescribed minimum