Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
OWASA water sales and reservoir withdrawals for the past four years have remained <br />below the historically high levels observed in 2001 and 2002. This is likely due to a <br />combination of weather factors, more conservative customer consumption, and the <br />recycling of water treahnent plant process water that was previously released to an <br />intermittent creek. Water withdrawals from University Lake and Cane Creels were 20 <br />percent less in 2005 than projected in OWASA's 2001 Master Plan. <br />Substantial reductions in summer peak demurds at the .Tones Ferry Road Water <br />Treatment Plant indicate that customers are using less water for outdoor irrigation, <br />perhaps in response to OWASA's seasonal rate structure and to year-round conservation <br />standards enacted by Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County. <br />Decreasing peak flows at the Mason Farm Wastewater Plant during rainy periods suggest <br />that OWASA's long-term program to systematically identify, repair and replace older <br />sewer lines may be successfully reducing unwanted inflow and infiltration of stormwater <br />into the sewer system. <br />If these recent trends continue, lower peals demands will delay the need for costly future <br />expansions at both the water and wastewater treatment plants. <br />Despite significant reductions in overall consumption, the relative water demands of <br />major customer classes have remained virtually unchanged and are nearly identical to <br />those reported in the 2001 Master Plan: Single Family Residential (.31%), Multi-Family <br />Residential (24%), University (28%), and Connnercial/Other (16%). <br />The effects of increased development densities on wastewater treatment capacity are <br />more complex than effects on the water system. Treatment capacity is affected by both <br />the volume and quality of wastewater flow. The total maximwn daily load (TMDL) <br />restrictions for nitrogen and phosphorus that will be established by .Jordan Lake rules that <br />the North Carolina Envirorunental Management Commission is expected to consider later <br />this year may ultimately limit the amount of development that can be accommodated in <br />the Carrboro-Chapel Hill urban services area. <br />OWASA - Wnter arrd Sewer Capacity 6nplicatiars oJhrcreaserl Deoelopnrent Densiry~ <br />Page 2 of 21 <br />