HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-05-2009 - 3aORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: November 5, 2009
Action Agenda
Item No. ~ _Q
SUBJECT: OWASA's Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Frank Clifton, 245-2300
9/3/09 Letter with Executive Summary of
OWASA's Draft Long-Range Water
Supply Plan
PURPOSE: To receive a presentation from representatives of the Orange Water and Sewer
Authority (OWASA) on a Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan.
BACKGROUND: In a September 3, 2009 letter (attached), OWASA Board Chair Randy
Kabrick expressed OWASA's interest in providing a presentation to the Board of
Commissioners on OWASA's Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan. An Executive Summary of
the Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan is also provided. As part of OWASA's presentation,
the key recommendations for meeting the expected water needs for OWASA customers
through 2060, as identified in the report, will be discussed.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with receiving the presentation.
RECOMMENDATION(S):. The Manager recommends that the Board receive the presentation
and provide questions and feedback as necessary.
~~~~~ ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
A public, rzon profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services
to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community.
September 3, 2009
Valerie Foushee, Chair Mark Chilton, Mayor Kevin Foy, Mayor
Orange County Board of Town of Carrboro Town of Chapel Hill
Commissioners 301 West Main Street 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Post Office Box 8181 Carrboro, NC 27510 Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Hillsborough, NC 27278
SUBJECT: UPDATE OF OWASA'S LONG-RANGE WATER SUPPLY PLAN
Dear Chair Foushee, Mayor Chilton and Mayor Foy:
I'm writing to follow up on my letter of July 29th regarding our draft Long-Range Water Supply
Plan Update. We understand that it was not possible to provide time for an OWASA presentation
at the September 24th Assembly of Governments meeting.
We would therefore like to present the highlights and recommendations of the draft Water
Supply Plan Update to each of your governing boards and receive your feedback before the end
of the calendar year. We estimate that our presentation would take about 20 minutes, with
additional time for questions and discussion.
Ed Kerwin will contact your respective Managers to discuss scheduling our presentations.
Effective long-range planning for an adequate, high quality water supply is one of OWASA's
highest priorities and obligations to the community. We look forward to meeting with you to
discuss our analysis of these issues and to receiving your comments and questions.
For your information, we are planning to hold a community meeting on November 11th at 7 PM
in the Chapel Hill Town Hall to present the draft Water Supply Plan Update and receive
feedback from customers and the general public.
Best regards,
Randy Kabrick, P.E., Chair
Enclosure
c: Mr. Frank Clifton, Interim Manager, Orange County
Mr. Roger L. Stancil, Manager, Town of Chapel Hill
Mr. Steven Stewart, Manager, Town of Carrboro
OWASA Board of Directors
Ed Kerwin, Executive Director
2
400 Jones Feny Road 6guo1 Opportunity Employer Voice (919) 968-4421
Carrboro, NC 27510-2001 Printed on Recycled Paper w~ww.ow•asa.ory
3
~~~ ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
A public, non ~~rofit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services
to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill communihj.
Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update
Executive Summary
July 17, 2009
OWASA's draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update report identifies key recommendations
for meeting the expected water needs of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) through 2060. The drab report includes two principal findings:
1. Expansion of OWASA's Quarry Reservoir west of Carrboro continues to offer the most
cost-effective increment of additional supply and will provide full control of a substantial
amount of high quality water with minimal capital investment. An expanded Quarry
Reservoir is expected to meet most anticipated water supply needs for the 50-year
planning period.
2. OWASA should develop agreements with neighboring utilities to secure the permanent
ability to purchase or sell water under appropriate conditions of supply and demand.
Except for the expanded Quarry Reservoir, temporary purchases offer the most cost-
effective option evaluated, especially for the infrequent times and limited amounts of
water that may be needed during the next 25 years or more. Purchase agreements also
provide important mutual support when critical facilities are out of service due to
maintenance, equipment failure, severe weather, or other emergency conditions.
Continued participation in the recently established Jordan Lake Partnership will provide
important opportunities to develop such arrangements and to gain cost-effective access to
OWASA's Jordan Lake water supply storage allocation.
In developing this report, OWASA conducted a thorough review of the underlying assumptions,
including demand projections, supply/demand-side alternatives that were evaluated in its last
comprehensive water supply report, Water Supply: A 50-Year Vision for Carrboro, Chapel Hill,
and Southern Orange County (March 2000), and other alternatives that have been identified
since that time. Highlights of the update include:
All customer groups -residential, commercial, and UNC -have significantly reduced
their drinking water consumption in recent years. During the same time, OWASA
implemented permanent process water recycling at its Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment
Plant, began operating a new reclaimed wastewater system serving UNC, and
aggressively promoted conservation through seasonal and tiered rates and an ongoing
customer education program. New residential, commercial, and UNC development
projects are increasingly relying on non-potable and advanced water use efficiency
technologies to reduce their drinking water needs.
Page ~ ES-1
400 Jones Ferry Road £geml Opportunity Employer Voice (919) 965-4421
Carrboro, NC 2 711 0-200 1 Printed on Recycled Paper iv~~nv.omasa.org
4
OWASA's existing Cane Creek/University Lake/Quarry Reservoir supply system can
meet the community's water supply needs substantially further into the future than
previously thought, even when reservoir levels are significantly lower than "normal."
• Investing in an expansion of OWASA's reclaimed water system or establishing financial
incentive programs, such as plumbing fixture rebates, to promote additional water
conservation is substantially less cost-effective than other options evaluated. OWASA-
funded support for such programs is not recommended at this time.
The Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update report presents a very positive future for OWASA
and the communities it serves. Through aggressive, proactive conservation-focused actions,
future generations living and working in OWASA's service area will be able to enjoy a reliable
supply of high quality drinking water with far less capital investment than predicted nine years
ago.
The complete Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update re port and Appendices, which
include the technical memoranda on which the report is based, is posted on the OWASA website
at www.owasa.orr~.
We Welcome Your Comments
If you have questions or would like to provide comments, please send an
email to webmasternowasa.org, or contact Ed Holland, OWASA Planning
Director, at 919-537-4215.
Draft Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update Page ~ ES-2