Agenda - 09-16-2003-6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 16, 2003 Action Agen a Item No. ~q SUBJECT: OWASA Update on Various Water/Wastewater Issues and Initiatives DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: 6/27/2003 OWASA Letter to Chair & Ed Kerwin, Exec. Director, OWASA Mayors 919-968-4421 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To allow Orange Water & Sewer Authority (OWASA) officials and staff to provide the BOCC with more detailed information and an update of issues (new conservation ordinances, wastewater reclamation and reuse, demand management, water supply and demand projections) that were brought to the Boards attention in the OWASA's June 27, 2003 letter (attached) to the Chair and the Mayors of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. BACKGROUND: For several years, OWASA has been working to develop, investigate and test strategies that would essentially expand its current water supply capacity by the use of management tools and engineering solutions other than reservoir construction. These strategies include: 1) reclaiming and reusing highly treated wastewater in lieu of potable water in applications such as irrigation and cooling water where potable water is not required: 2) using OWASA funds to help defray the costs to individual customers in replacing older high flow toilets with ultra low flush toilets; 3) providing technical assistance in water conservation to high volume water users; 4) developing water saving landscape designs; 5) developing drought/water conservation requirements; and 6) updating water supply and demand projections. These elements of OWASA's plans and policies were outlined for the BOCC in OWASA's letter of June 27, 2003 to the Chair. OWASA is making a presentation to the BOCC to more fully describe the plans, policies, etc. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board receive the presentation as information.