HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 08-21-2007-Well.~ n-E'o~m9 -~ i an ~~' ~m
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North Carolina Public Health
ORANGE COUNTY
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Rosemary L. Summers,
MPH, DrPH
Health Director
Richard E. Whiffed Human
Services Center
300 West Tryon Street
Post Office Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2411
Fax: (919) 644-3007
www. co, orange. nc. us/health
Central Administrative
Services
Dental Health Services
Environmental Health
Services
Health Promotion and
Education Services
Personal Health Services
306-C Revere Road
P 0 Box 8181
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2360
FAX: (919) 644-3006
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Report to the Orange County Board of Commissioners
Subject : No Fault Well Repair Fund Update
Date: August 8, 2007
From: Tom Konsler, Environmental Health Director
Through: Rosemary Summers, Health Director
Copies: Orange County Board of Health, Orange County Manager,
Orange County Planning Director
In 2001, American Stone Company and OWASA applied for and received a special use
permit for the continued use of the American Stone Quarry until the end of 2030. After
that date, OWASA will operate the facility as a reservoir. The Quarry is located
approximately 5 miles west of Carrboro on Hwy 54. As a condition of the special use
permit, American Stone established a "No Fault Well Repair Fund" (NFWRF) for those
residents whose property is within 3,000 feet of the perimeter of the quarry and who
experience well failures not directly attributable to the quarry operation. The initial fund
amount was $87,500 and can be augmented by $20,000 per year as needed to meet the
community needs. Well failures that area "probable result" of the quarry operation must
be handled exclusively by American Stone at their expense. To our knowledge, there
have been no failures that have been attributed to quarry operations.
In 2002, The Board of Health (January, 2002) and the Board of County Commissioners
(June 4, 2002) adopted a policy and implementation process for this fund. The policy
has provisions for well repair, renovation, treatment or replacement; including a schedule
that allows for replacement of the well pump.
OCHD environmental health staff members have responsiblilites in providing sampling
services, technical assistance, consultation regarding remedies, and determination of
well failure. Purchasing and Central Services secures and manages contracts with
certified well contractors for actual repairs or replacement after environmental health staff
members authorize the work. The Board of Health is the avenue of appeals for those
residents who are not satisfied with the process.
In 2003, staff proposed to the Board of Health an alternative to well replacement, repair,
or water treatment if a well had detectable levels of arsenic but those levels were still
below the recommended drinking water limit. If the well was otherwise satisfactory, the
homeowner would receive bottled water to be paid by the NFWRF. This alternative was
devised due in~ part to the lack of proven water treatment technologies for arsenic
removal. There are currently 10 homes participating in the bottled water program. The
BOH approved this component with the idea it would be reviewed every 2 years for
continuation or revisions. Since there are now acceptable treatment technologies
available for removal of arsenic, this part of the program will be phased out.
Environmental Health staff is currently assessing these 10 homes for water quality and
will soon propose treatment alternatives for those homes as appropriate.
Information about the No Fault Well Repair Fund is posted on the Health Department
website with contact information and an application for water samples and claims.
Inquiries to the Health Department average about 1 call per month and investigations
referred to American Stone number about 2 per year.
To date, approximately $73,000 has been paid out from the fund and a balance of
$44,331 is currently available from the original allocation. Additional funds have been
received from OWASA ($45,304) and from earned interest ($8,054). According to the
budget staff, the additional funds and interest have not been through a budget
amendment to date. Please refer to the attached summary report for remedies and
expenses provided from inception through June 2007.
No Fault Well Repair Fund
Number of Remedies Implemented by Year
2007
Calendar Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 thru June Total
Water Purchase 8 10 10
Treatment Systems 1 1
Well Replacement 4 1 4 1 10
Well Repair 1 1
Pump Replacement 2 1 3
Expenditures by Year
2007
Calendar Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 thru June Total
Water Purchase $1,800 $3,248 $5,007.00 $2,680.00 $12,735
Treatment Systems $1,050 $1,050
Well Replacement $24,390 $5,135 $22,788 $4,988 $57,301
Well Repair $1,400 $1,400
Pump Replacement $1,141 $273 $1,414
Total $25,531 $6,808 $24,588 $8,236 $5,007.00 $2,680.00 $72,850