Orange County NC Website
Jordan Lake 'V~ater Supply Allocation <br />January 2001 . <br />Page 2 of 6 <br />A Role for Jordan Lake? <br />A critical element of OWASA's mission of providing an adequate supply of high quality <br />drinking water has been maintaining a viable and reliable range of long term options for the <br />future..Historically, OWASA's Jordan Lake allocation has represented a supply source that <br />could supplement the University Lake, Cane Creek, and existing Stone Quarry supplies when <br />their yield no longer meets the growing demands of the commuzuty. <br />Stone uar Still the Preferred Choice <br />Mare recently, OWASA's Comprehensive Water and Sewer Master Plan (Master Plan) and its <br />Mazch, 2000 Water Supply SO-Yeaz Vision paper identified the extended (3 billion gallon) Stone <br />Quarry Reservoir as the best choice for the next increment of water supply expansion. Although <br />the necessary approvals have dot yet been obtained for the quarry extension, OWASA is <br />optimistic that they will be granted before the EMC issues its Jordan Lake allocation <br />decisions in December, 2001. <br />Potential Su 1 Deficit Before 2030 <br />The figure on the next page projects raw water supply and demand through 2035. The diamond- <br />shaped data points represent actual raw water demand for the past 20 years. The three diverging <br />straight lines aze the High, Low, and Expected demand forecasts developed in the Master Plan. <br />Three levels of supply capacity: (1) Existing System; (2) Conveyance Upgrades; and (3) 3 billion <br />gallon (BG) Quarry Reservoir -- are shown as straight horizontal lines. The Conveyance <br />Upgrades and 3 BG Quazry Reservoir capacity levels are approximately five percent lower than <br />presented previously in the Master Plan due to their depiction as 50-year, rather than 30-yeaz, <br />sustainable yields. ('The EMC is requiring that upcoming Jordan Lake allocation requests be <br />based on a 50-year safe yield analysis of existing and alternative sources.) <br />The solid, step-shaped line represents the raw water supply available at a given time. The shaded <br />areas indicate water supply shortfalls or deficits under the supply and demand conditions <br />specified. According to terms of OWASA's lease agreement with the American Stone <br />Company, quarrying may continue through 2030. OWASA's Master Plan consultant estimated <br />that the finished pit could not be brought into service as a water supply reservoir for an <br />additional two and a half to six years. The indication of a 1 to 3 MGD raw water supply deficit <br />between the years 2020 and 2030 suggests that OWASA should retain a significant portion of its <br />current Jordan Lake water supply storage allocation. <br />11 <br />