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OWASA Comments <br />Water Transfers <br />Page 2 <br />IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE SOUTHERN ORANGE WATER SUPPLY WOULD HAVE <br />SURVIVED THE DROUGHT OF 1997 - WHEN OWASA PURCHASED LAKE BUTNER <br />WATER THROUGH THE CITY OF DURHAM - IF THE PROPOSED PERMITTING <br />SYSTEM HAD BEEN IN PLACE. EFFECTS OF THE BILL ON THE EXISTING <br />MUTUAL AID COMPACT FOR WATER SUPPLY EMERGENCIES, TO WHICH ORANGE <br />COUNTY, HILLSBOROUGH, AND OWASA ARE ALL PARTIES, ARE UNCLEAR. <br />IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THIS LEGISLATION WOULD SEVERELY INHIBIT GOOD <br />WATER MANAGEMENT BY UNINTENTIONALLY REQUIRING INDIVIDUAL <br />COMMUNITIES TO DEVELOP LOCAL SUPPLY SOURCES OF THEIR OWN, INSTEAD <br />OF COLLABORATING WITH NEIGHBORS ON COOPERATIVE SOLUTIONS LESS <br />COSTLY TO TAXPAYERS, RATE PAYERS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS <br />DRAFT LEGISLATION COULD REDUCE THE EFFICIENT AND TIMELY USE OF <br />JORDAN LAKE AS A WATER SUPPLY SOURCE TO NO MORE THAN A PIPE <br />DREAM, IF YOU'LL PARDON THE PUN. <br />THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL BILL. THIS DRAFT HAS BEEN MOTIVATED <br />NOT BY PRINCIPLES OF GOOD STEWARDSHIP, BUT BY THE POLITICS OF <br />IGNORANCE AND DIVISIVENESS SPLITTING THE INTERESTS OF <br />UPSTREAM /DOWNSTREAM, URBAN /RURAL, AND PIEDMONT VERSUS COASTAL <br />PLAIN NEIGHBORS. OWASA DOES NOT HAVE POLITICAL STANDING WITH THE <br />GENERAL ASSEMBLY. WE NEED YOUR HELP, AS THE ELECTED <br />REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND YOUR CITIZENS, IN OPPOSING <br />THIS LEGISLATION. <br />