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This is another in a series of articles by the Orange County Commission for the Environment (CFE). Each article highlights an environmental issue of interest to the residents of Orange County. The CFE is a volunteer advisory board to the Board of County Commissioners. Additional information can be found in the Orange County State of the Environment 2014 report at r /commission for the environment.php Water in Orange County —Is There Enough? By Orange County Commission for the Environment The word water can bring a variety of images to mind, but usually water is a news topic only when there is too little or too much. The myriad ways that water plays a role in our daily lives is not always obvious. One thing we can all agree on is that access to reliable sources of clean water is vital. Clean water is a resource that is renewable but can be limited in availability. Adequate supplies of clean water are necessary for public health, agricultural production, economic growth, and ecosystem health. As Orange County's population grows, the number of people relying on municipal water supplies will increase as urban areas expand. Surface water (i.e., from rivers and reservoirs) is the primary source of water for our towns, whereas residents of rural areas of the county are completely dependent upon groundwater for their water supply. The accompanying graph presents water data from the N.C. Division of Water Resources. This information illustrates the average amount of water used per person from 1997 to 2014, with usage reported in gallons per day per person (g /d /p) by the water utilities servicing areas within Orange County: Mebane, Hillsborough, OWASA (Orange Water and Sewer Authority), and OAWS (Orange - Alamance Water System). Usage is calculated by dividing the total average amount of water used daily by the number of people served by the utility. The numbers in the graphic include all residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and system process uses, as well as unaccounted -for water losses due to leakage or unregistered water meters. These data may not have been verified for all of the years reported. 200 `° .� Water Utility CL L 150 - - - - - -� — — — City of Mebane w 100 •..... • .. o '••. — -OWASA w Q 50 • o Town of M Hillsborough OAWS 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 Year The accompanying graph presents water data from the N.C. Division of Water Resources. This information illustrates the average amount of water used per person from 1997 to 2014, with usage reported in gallons per day per person (g /d /p) by the water utilities servicing areas within Orange County: Mebane, Hillsborough, OWASA (Orange Water and Sewer Authority), and OAWS (Orange - Alamance Water System). Usage is calculated by dividing the total average amount of water used daily by the number of people served by the utility. The numbers in the graphic include all residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and system process uses, as well as unaccounted -for water losses due to leakage or unregistered water meters. These data may not have been verified for all of the years reported.