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6 <br /> 1 helps those in need pay their water and sewer bills. She said they are reassessing the program <br /> 2 to ensure it meets the needs of customers. <br /> 3 Ray DuBose said OWASA was making progress on energy management. He said they <br /> 4 recently built a new solar array at the Cane Creek Reservoir. He said that it will offset '/4 of <br /> 5 electricity used to pump water from the reservoir. He said that the Orange County Climate Action <br /> 6 Grant Program helped fund the solar array. He said an energy management update will be <br /> 7 available in the spring. <br /> 8 Bruce Boehm discussed the western intake partnership. He said Jordan Lake has a single <br /> 9 intake of water that is operated by the Town of Cary. He said the western intake will provide <br /> 10 redundancy and a direct connection to OWASA and is a partnership with the City of Durham, <br /> 11 Town of Pittsboro and Chatham County. He said there was an open house in Chatham County <br /> 12 on January 10 to allow the public to learn more about the project and about 50 people attended. <br /> 13 He said they expressed appreciation for the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. <br /> 14 He said that the partnership is in early stages and OWASA will continue to provide updates to the <br /> 15 community. <br /> 16 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked about the temporary changes to drinking water and <br /> 17 how OWASA notifies customers. <br /> 18 Bruce Boehm said once a year OWASA makes changes to their treatment process. <br /> 19 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked how customers are notified. <br /> 20 Todd Taylor, OWASA Executive Director, said they notify customers via email and in their <br /> 21 bills. He said they try to coordinate with other water providers to make these changes at the same <br /> 22 time. He said they are always ready to speak with customers on the issue. He said they've been <br /> 23 following this process for a couple of decades. <br /> 24 Commissioner Richards asked about new regulations for PFAS, lead and copper. <br /> 25 Todd Taylor said there are new regulations coming out of the EPA. He said that lead and <br /> 26 copper standards were revised and they are working with a consultant to get a plan together. He <br /> 27 said when the regulations come out there will probably be a 3-5 year window to become compliant. <br /> 28 Commissioner Hamilton asked about the impact of the changes on the OWASA budget <br /> 29 and the cost to customers. <br /> 30 Todd Taylor said they do not know this information yet, but there will be a lot of <br /> 31 conversation when the new standards are released. <br /> 32 Chair Bedford asked Nancy Coston, DSS Director, if there are any remaining funds to <br /> 33 assist those that are behind on their water and sewer bills. <br /> 34 Nancy Coston said there is about$100,000 left in the budget for the year. She said people <br /> 35 can contact DSS for more information. <br /> 36 Chair Bedford said Ray DuBose had been helping the Clerk to the Board's office with <br /> 37 questions for the next application process. She said Ray DuBose would soon leave the OWASA <br /> 38 board and thanked him for his service. <br /> 39 Commissioner Richards thanked the OWASA board members and Todd Taylor for <br /> 40 meeting with her to learn more about OWASA. <br /> 41 <br /> 42 <br /> 43 5. Public Hearings <br /> 44 a. Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) Text Amendment — Neighborhood Information <br /> 45 Meetings <br /> 46 The Board held a public hearing, received the Planning Board and staff recommendations and <br /> 47 public comment, closed the public hearing, and considered action on staff-initiated amendments <br /> 48 to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) regarding proposed revisions to the current <br /> 49 requirements for Neighborhood Information Meetings. <br /> 50 <br />