Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
<br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: April 3, 2001 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. I o-b. <br />SUBJECT: OWASA and Orange County Jordan Lake Allocations <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />County Engineer's 3/21/2001 Memo <br />Additional Materials of Explanation from <br />OWASA <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Paul Thames, ext 2300 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-0501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To review and discuss information regarding the future allocation of raw water from <br />Jordan Lake. <br />BACKGROUND: The NC Environmental Management Commission (EMC) is currently <br />conducting a third round of allocation requests for raw water supplies from Jordan Lake. The <br />total allocations requested in the second and third rounds have far exceeded the rated 100 <br />million gallon per day (mgd) water supply capacity of Jordan Lake. The Round 3 allocation <br />process requires that all entities having an existing Level II allocation (for future withdrawals) <br />reapply to preserve their allocations. Unlike the initial Round 1 application process, Round 3 <br />applications must provide detailed projections as to water demand and water supply capacity as <br />justification for requested allocations. <br />The attached memorandum from County Engineer Paul Thames explains in detail OWASA's <br />Round 3 request fora 6.0 mgd Level II (future) allocation of raw water from Jordan Lake and <br />the difficulties Orange County will face in retaining or utilizing its existing Level II allocation. The <br />Engineer will briefly outline the major points of his report, and respond to the Board's questions <br />on this subject. A Board decision about the County's allocation will be needed no later than the <br />April 17, 2001 regular meeting. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: If Orange County is to maintain its Level II allocation, its annual cost in <br />interests and service/maintenance charges for Jordan Lake will be approximately $2,300 per <br />year. If the County maintains its Level II allocation and eventually does convert to a Level I <br />allocation, the annual cost will be approximately $4500 for the raw water allocation plus <br />additional charges for water withdrawal, treatment and distribution operational costs. At 1.0 <br />mgd, capital costs could exceed two million dollars with operational costs approaching $5,000 <br />or more per day. <br />