Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
Information on OWASA's Long-Range Water Supply Plan 13 <br /> January 29,2021 <br /> Page 7 <br /> Figure 4: OWASA Water Sales and Customer Accounts <br /> 9.0 24,000 <br /> c 8.5 22,000 <br /> L <br /> a°1 8.0 <br /> c 7.5 20,000 <br /> o ,+ <br /> 0 <br /> 7'0 18,000 <br /> c b 6.5 <br /> a 6 0 16,000 0 <br /> 5.5 Reclaimed Water to UNC 14,000 N <br /> cn 5.0 Begins 2009 <br /> v 4.5 _ 12,000 <br /> M <br /> 4.0 10,000 <br /> `o 95 ti Ci C0� 00� 00� 00� O,yO O,� 0, <br /> ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti ti <br /> Actual Water Sales Customer Accounts <br /> Our water demand projections assume that our customers will continue to look for ways to save <br /> water. We assume that conservation practices will continue to result in demands decreasing by 5 <br /> to 10 percent per account (factors varied depending on whether new/existing development and <br /> whether residential or commercial development) over the next 25 years. <br /> Why do we need additional supplies or demand management strategies? <br /> As seen in Figure 3,we will have plenty of water under most circumstances. However, it is <br /> imperative to the resiliency of our community that we plan for an unclear future given the <br /> uncertainty in our demand projections, the uncertainty in the model used to estimate the reliable <br /> yield of our reservoirs, and the uncertainty of a changing climate. We also need to be prepared to <br /> reliably meet demands should we have a major operational emergency at one of our water <br /> supplies. <br /> While we have plenty of water under most circumstance, Cane Creek Reservoir is vulnerable to <br /> extended drought or back-to-back droughts. It was designed to maximize storage, which is <br /> generally good and provides us a higher yield. However, it has a relatively small drainage area <br /> for its storage volume and can take a long time to refill. University Lake refills quickly,but it <br /> does not hold enough water to meet our daily needs. Thus, the small watershed area of Cane <br /> Creek Reservoir leaves our water supply susceptible for a period of time after a drought. <br /> Having options to meet future needs helps ensure the reliability and resiliency of our water. <br /> Running out of water is not an option. <br />