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040 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. ng <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: DECEMBER 16, 1986 <br /> SUBJECT: WATER CONSERVATION ORDINANCE AMENDMENT <br /> DEPARTMENT: COUNTY MANAGER PUBLIC HEARING: Yes X No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: MANAGER'S <br /> OFFICE,X501 <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBER: <br /> TABLE 11 Hillsborough - 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill - 968-4501 <br /> Mebane - 227-2031 <br /> Durham - 688-7331 <br /> PURPOSE: To consider adding an additional criterion by which a water <br /> shortage is declared to begin or be relieved. <br /> NEED: The County's ordinance is in two parts. It contains measures <br /> to guide and regulate the public and water utilities in times <br /> of shortage and it provides a management plan for administer- <br /> ing the measures. <br /> The County adopted the ordinance on July 10, 1986. It has <br /> provided a means of coping with the drought. Had it not been <br /> in effect this year public water supply in the upper Eno Basin <br /> would have been depleted, based upon analysis done by the N. <br /> C. Division of Water Resources. At this time the water <br /> shortage is lessening through a resumption of normal <br /> precipitation and river flow and a rise in reservoir storage <br /> levels. As of December 9, University Lake had recovered to 31 <br /> inches below spillway whereas Lake Orange was 41 inches below <br /> full. <br /> Heretofore the County Ordinance has tied conservation and <br /> allocation measures in the Southern and Northern ends of the <br /> County to reservoir levels alone. It has been recognized by <br /> the OWASA staff that more factors need to be taken into <br /> account in defining a shortage than the water level of <br /> University Lake. Revisions will be recommended at a later <br /> date for the OWASA service area lying within the unincor <br /> porated portion of the County. Similarly, an amendment with <br /> respect to the Eno River and Lake Orange is thought necessary <br /> so that any change in water conditions may be recognized. <br /> One alternative, discussed by the Board earlier, is to trigger <br /> different degrees of conservation to the condition of down- <br />