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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 1, 2001 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No... ,I~p-a <br />SUBJECT: USGS Ground Water Resource Investigation / <br />Report of the Water Resources Cammittee <br />DEPARTMENT: ERCD PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />USGS Ground Water Resource <br />Investigation (under separate cover) <br />Report of the Water Resources <br />Committee <br />Radon Fact Sheet <br />--.- INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />David Stancil, 245-2590 <br />Rosemary Summers, 245-2412 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham fi88-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To receive a presentation of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) cooperative <br />Ground Water Resource Investigation and consider the Report of the Water Resources <br />Committee. <br />BACKGROUND: The Water Resources Committee began work in late 1992 to evaluate the <br />County's ground water quantity and quality. Over the last eight years, the Committee has <br />produced an Interim Report, worked with the USGS on a report on ground water recharge rates, <br />and over the last few years monitored and evaluated the progress of the recently completed, <br />three-year Ground Water Resource Investigation. Both USGS projects were cooperative <br />ventures with the County on a 50-50 cost-share arrangement. During this timeframe, the <br />Committee also oversaw the initiation of a program to begin identifying all new well sites with <br />Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, for incorporation into the County's GIS system. . <br />Over 1200 wells have now been located and entered into the Comprehensive Resource <br />database. In addition, the County instituted a Ground Water Center in 1996 to provide <br />assistance to citizens with questions or concerns about ground water. <br />The attached USGS report, Investi ation of Ground-Water Availabili and uali in Oran e <br />County. North Carolina has now been published. The report includes an evaluation of the <br />County's hydrologic setting and ground water availability, including analyses and mapping that <br />identifies "contours" of the County based on well yields, using the database of well records. <br />The report also conducted a comprehensive well-sampling of 51 wells across the County, <br />weighted by geographic distribution and underlying hydrogeology. <br />Ground water quality in the County was generally quite good, with trace elements detected <br />infrequently or at levels less than State drinking water standards. However, the level of water- <br />borne radon in some portions of the County was worthy of note. Wells tested in a southern- <br />