Orange County NC Website
22 <br />M �3Glff4 <br />More importantly, the 1977 purchase and sales agreements between <br />OWASA and the Tows. "provide that OWASA will in part "provide and <br />maintain such swage collection and treatment facilities as may be <br />required under applicable laws and regulations to meet the <br />reasonable needs of the Town" (emphasis added) as then and <br />thereafter constituted. <br />These agreements also included OWASA's "pledge and unequivocal <br />assurance that it will use its best efforts in good faith" to <br />extend sewers in annexation areas where required by State law as a <br />condition of annexation. <br />The latter commitments were important considerations for the Town <br />in selling its wastewater lines and one -half interest in the Mason <br />Farm wastewater treatment plant. <br />The only financial consideration by OWASA in acquiring the Town's <br />wastewater system, excluding payment for trucks and other <br />equipment, was OWASA's assumption of debt payments on Town sewer <br />bonds. The amount of these payments as scheduled from 1976 -77 <br />through 1992 -93 is about $2 million. However, if the present value <br />of these payments were calculated based on a 10% annual discount <br />rate, the time - discounted value was only about $1 million. <br />The sale of the Town's sewer system and half interest in the <br />wastewater treatment plant on these very favorable terms further, <br />emphasises the importance of OWASA's commitments to meet the <br />community's wastewater needs. <br />B. Assistance to low income families <br />We recommend that the Town enter into discussions with OWASA and <br />other interested local governments regarding possible means of <br />cooperatively assisting low - income families with water and sewer <br />costs. <br />The Town can continue to assist iaw income families in Chapel Sill <br />with water and sewer costs through the Tow's water and sewer <br />reserve of sales taxes collected in the 19809, and with Community <br />Development grant funds as in past years. <br />VII. Other matters <br />As noted in previous discussion with the Council, OWASA does not <br />maintain the portion of private sewer laterals which is in public <br />right -of -way. <br />we think there should be public discussion.and consideration of <br />whether OWASA customers should share the risk of repairing laterals <br />in right- of-way by paying for this as an OWASA service. Such a <br />policy would be similar to OWASA's maintenance of water connection <br />laterals and meters in public right of way. <br />