Agenda - 06-26-2003-8O - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: June 26, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. ~ ` (~ SUBJECT: OWASA Conservation and Demand Management Ordinance DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): 3/6/03 Cover Letter INFORMATION CONTACT: 2/27/03 OWASA Resolution Ed Kerwin, 968-4421 Proposed Water Conservation Ordinance/ Geof Gledhill, 732-2196 Standards Paul Thames, ext. 2303 OWASA Response to Question From Joint Meeting of 1/16/03 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Table Of Guidelines For Water Hillsborough 732-8181 Conservation Triggers Chapel Hil'I 968-4501 Summary Of Existing And Proposed Durham 688-7331 Conservation Standards Mebane 336-227-2031 Revised Interim Ordinance PURPOSE: To consider adopting Orange Water & Sewer Authority's (OWASA's ) recommended revised Water Conservation and Demand Management Ordinance standards and provisions applicable to the OWASA customers within the unincorporated area of Orange County. BACKGROUND: At the request of OWASA in the Spring of 2002, Orange County as well as the Towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro adopted a Water Conservation and Demand Management Ordinance providing for year round conservation of water and for temporary water use restrictions during water shortages and emergencies. The Orange County ordinance was adopted as an interim revision to the County's existing drought ordinance (which applies to the upper Eno River system as well as to OWASA) that was applicable only to OWASA customers in the unincorporated Orange County portion of the OWASA service area. In light of its experiences during the drought of 2002, OWASA has reevaluated the practices, standards and provisions specified by the ordinance. OWASA officials and staff have drafted proposed revisions to its own water conservation standards and practices and to the provisions of the ordinance. OWASA has held public forums open to its customers and met with the elected boards of Orange County, Chapel Hill and Carrboro to discuss water shortage issues, water conservation strategies and potential conservation ordinance requirements. The new/revised water conservation standards for OWASA customers include: • Requiring some basic year-round conservation practices such as irrigating no more than three times per week and with no more than one-inch of water per week.