Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-21-2003-8iORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 21, 2003 Action Agenda' Item No. ~ - ~ SUBJECT: Re-authorization of County Participation in the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Packet from TJCOG with Interlocal Agreement and Scope of Work INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Thames, County Engineer, ext. 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To present to the BOCC, for its approval and ratification, a resolution that both amends the interlocal agreement governing the Triangle Water Supply Monitoring Project and re-authorizes continuing County participation in the project. BACKGROUND: In 1988, Orange County and a number of other Triangle-area local governments and agencies involved in providing drinking water derived from surface waters entered into an interlocal agreement to fund a project designed to acquire water quality data on the area's raw water supplies. These governments and agencies contracted with Triangle J Council of Governments and the US Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a three year program of: a) sampling, monitoring and analyzing (laboratory analysis) the regions raw water supplies (rivers, lakes and reservoirs); and b) evaluating the significance of the findings in terms of detecting and explicating trends in the improvement or decline in water quality. The initial three years (Phase 1) of the project were completed in 1991. At the time, data analysis indicated that existing water quality was generally higher than anticipated. However, the governments and agencies participating in the project concluded that much more needed to be learned about the area's water supply quality and actual and potential sources of water quality impact. Accordingly, the project participants agreed to extend the project (Phase 2) for an additional four years and modified/re-authorized the interlocal agreement at unchanged funding levels. In 1995, the governments and agencies (with the exception of the City of Raleigh, the project's largest funding contributor at the time) again modified/re-authorized the project (Phase 3) for four additional years with new and additional monitoring, data collection and evaluation goals. In 1999, the project was re-authorized yet again for fours years with slight modifications (Phase IV). Throughout the years of re-authorizing successive phases of the project, the County's funding contribution increased only slightly, never exceeding $3,500 per year ($2,700 net cost with Orange-Alamance's contribution of up to $800 per year). The water supply monitoring project is again up for re-authorization, with a fairly substantial cost increase and a new methodology of calculating each participant's cost share. Accordingly, the cost to every participant, except that of the City of Durham, has increased rather dramatically. However, Durham has always paid the lion's share of the project costs since Raleigh's withdrawal from the project (historically approximately 50°/a) as the largest water user. Orange County's share of the project cost has nearly doubled (at approximately $6,800, or $6,000 net if Orange-Alamance maintains its $800 contribution). It is important to note, however, that the local share of cost for operating the stream flow-monitoring gage at Hillsborough is included in this project. Should Orange County withdraw as a project sponsor, the County -which is obligated by the terms of the Eno River Capacity Use Agreement to ensure (by funding arrangement with the USGS) that this gage continues to operate -would be faced with paying the $3,500 annual local share required to maintain the Eno gage. At this point, USGS staff has completed all of the data collection associated with the Phase 4 project. USGS staff is currently reviewing all of the information collected, analyzing trends, etc., and preparing a report proposed for completion/publication in the spring of 2004. That report will be available to the public, and County staff will provide the report to the BOCC when it is completed. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Approximately $6,800 per year, less any Orange-Alamance contribution (currently $800 per year). RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the BOCC re-authorize the County's continued participation in the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project (Phase 5) for the next four years and authorize the Manager to execute the interlocal agreement. 3 TRIANGLE J COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS W o r 1 d 4222 Emperor Boulevard • Durham, NC 27703 C l; 8 S S Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12276 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 R C g l O ri 919.549.0551 rnx: 919.549.9390 June 25, 2003 John M. Link, Jr., County Manager Orange County PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 RE: Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, Phase V Dear Mr. Link: Previously, the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project Steering Committee had sent you two originals of the Amendment to Interlocal Agreement for Phase V of the Project. The Steering Committee decided at their last meeting, held on June 24, 2003, to revise the format of the Amendment tv Interlocal Agreement for Phase V, such that each Project Partner will have a separate signature page. Each Project Partner will sign ten original signature pages and send all ten signed pages to me. I will then collate all of the signature pages and return to each Project Partner one original Amendment to Interlocal Agreement signed by all nine Project Partners, retaining one signed original for TJCOG. Enclosed you will find an Amendment to Interlocal Agreement with ten original signature pages for your signature. I have omitted the signature pages for the other Project Partners (pages 3 and 5-11) Please sign all ten original signature pages of the Amendment to Interlocal Agreement and return them to me by July 16, 2003. The continuing support and participation by your jurisdiction in this program is very much appreciated by all Project Partners, and has been essential to the success of this important project. Sincerely, ~,,~'-~ Sydney P ul Miller J_,~~ Water Resources Program Manager cc: R. Kim Fisher Triangle J Council of Governments Mission Statement To serve as an intergovernmental organization for local elected officials that works proactively on regional issues in order to ~~ sustain and improve the quality of life for our citizens. 4 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM COUNTY OF DURHAM COUNTY OF ORANGE COUNTY OF WAKE AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into by and between the County of Chatham, the County of Orange, the County of Wake, the Town of Apex, the Town of Cary, the City of Durham, the Town of Hillsborough, the Town of Morrisville and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, to be effective from and after July 1, 2003. WITNESSETH: WHEREAS, on August 18, 1988, several local governments in Region J, including the County of Chatham, the County of Orange, the Town of Apex, the Town of Carrboro, the Town of Cary, the Town of Chapel Hill, the City of Durham, and the Town of Hillsborough, entered into an interlocal agreement to establish the Triangle Area Water Supply Water Quality Monitoring Project (the "Monitoring Project") applicable to certain surface water supplies in Region J; and WHEEREAS, the County of Wake and the Town of Morrisville have agreed to enter into the same interlocal agreement to continue the Monitoring Project; and WHEREAS, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority has agreed to enter into the same interlocal agreement on behalf of the Town of Chapel Hill and the Town of Carrboro to continue the Monitoring Project; and WHEREAS, the Monitoring Project was initially established for athree-year period, and said interlocal agreement was subsequently amended to extend the Monitoring Project for Phase II through June 30, 1991, for Phase III through June 30, 1999, and for Phase IV through June 30, 2003; and WHEREAS, water quality monitoring activities during Phases I through IV have been funded through local contributions and a major cost share match through a Joint Funding Agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey; and WHEREAS, the primary objectives of the Monitoring Project are to: (a) supplement existing data on major ions, nutrients, and trace elements to enable determination of long-term water quality trends; (b) examine the differences in water quality among water supplies within the region, especially differences among smaller upland sources, large multi-purpose reservoirs, and run-of-river supplies; (c) provide tributary loading data and in-lake data for predictive modeling; (d) establish a database for the presence or absence of synthetic organic compounds in surface waters in the region; and (e) report results of the monitoring program to governmental officials, the scientific community, and the general public; and Page 1 of 14 TRIANGLE AREA WATER SUPPLY WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT 5 AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WHEREAS, the Monitoring Project will complete its Phase IV monitoring program on June 30, 2003; and WHEREAS, the local governments participating in the project established a Monitoring Project Steering Committee to make technical, financial, and administrative recommendations to the participating local entities; and WHEREAS, said Committee has determined that additional monitoring is needed and desirable to meet the objectives of measuring water quality conditions and long-term trends in water quality. NOW, THEREFORE, the undersigned units of local government have agreed: 1. That the term of the Interlocal Agreement dated August 8, 1988 and amended July 1, 1991, July 1, 1995, and July 1, 1999, under which they have operated the Monitoring Project for certain water supplies in Region J, shall be and is hereby extended until the completion of the project or June 30, 2007, whichever is earlier, and that the terms and conditions thereof, and the duties and obligations of the parties thereunder, shall be and remain as set out in the Interlocal Agreement as amended July 1, 1999, except as hereby specifically modified. 2. That the activities of the Monitoring Project continue to be guided by the goals and objectives summarized above. 3. That the monitoring program continue as summarized in Attachment A, "Summary of TAWSMP Work Program for Phase V: FY 2004 - FY 2007." 4. That the annual funding support provided by local participants for Fiscal Years 2004 through 2007 shall be as shown on Attachment B to this Amendment, or as otherwise necessary to undertake the project as recommended by the Project Steering Committee, provided, however, the funding level does not exceed the local participants' projected share of annual costs for FY 2004-7. Page 2 of 14 TRIANGLE AREA WATER SUPPLY WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT 6 AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ATTACI=IlVIENT A SUMMARY OF TAWSMP WORK PROGRAM FOR PHASE V: FY 2004 - FY 2007 Since it began in 1988, the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project has made significant progress towards the goals and objectives originally established for the project. Through the project, participating local governments have worked together to establish a stronger base of information upon which to determine long-term changes in water quality. The project has also increased our understanding about the presence or absence of synthetic organic chemicals in the Triangle Region's drinking water supply sources. This data is important to local and state agencies responsible for the provision and protection of drinking water supplies. The Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project Steering Committee, which is composed of representatives from each participating local government, recommends that this cooperative monitoring project continue. The Steering Committee recommends the following: 1. that water quality monitoring be continued at the sites and frequencies, and for the parameters listed on Table 1 of the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project Proposal for Phase V (see Attachment C); 2. that stream flow gaging be continued at the sites also shown on Table 1 (see Attachment C); 3. that data collection at existing tributary sites be increased during high-flow event; and 4. that the presence of emerging water-quality contaminants such as pharmaceutical compounds and antibiotics be determined at 7 sites near water-supply intakes as shown on Table 1 (see Attachment C). 5. that a report be published that includes analysis of water-quality trends for data collected through 2005. During Phase V, the Steering Committee will work with the U.S. Geological Survey to increase public awareness and understanding of the Project and the quality of water-supply sources in the region through periodic progress reports, press releases, presentations, and by maintaining a Project web site. Page 12 of 14 TRIANGLE AREA WATER SUPPLY WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT ~ AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ATTACI=IMENT B TAWSMP ANNUAL COST SHARES FOR PHASE V: FY 2004 - FY 2007 The annual cost for Phase V of the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project is $340,000. The US Geological Survey will provide a fifty percent cost share match of $170,000. The Monitoring Project Partners' total annual cost for Phase V is the remaining $170,000, plus $12,000 for TJCOG services and support. The Monitoring Project Partners' individual annual cost shares are the sum of a base rate and a variable rate. The base rate is thirty percent of the total annual Monitoring Project Partners' cost, which is thirty percent of $182,000, divided equally among the Monitoring Project Partners. The variable rate is seventy percent of the total annual Monitoring Project Partners' cost, which is seventy percent of $182,000, multiplied by each Monitoring Project Partners' percentage of the total average annual water use during Calendar Year 2001 for all Monitoring Project Partners. Project Partners County Morrisville Orange County z Orange Water and Sewer Authority Total Average Annual Share of Total Variable Rate Base Rate Phase V Annual Daily Water Use Water Use Cost Share Cost Share Cost Share (mgd)' 2.14 3.9% $ 4,963 $ 6,067 $11,030 10.51 19.1 % $ 24,376 $ 6,067 $30,442 1.040 1.9% $ 2,411 $ 6,067 $8,478 28.71 52.3% $ 66,587 $ 6,067 $72,653 1.23 2.2% $ 2,853 $ 6,067 $8919 1.20 2.2% $ 2,783 $ 6,067 $8,850 0.35 0.6% $ 814 $ 6,067 $6,881 9.44 17.2% $ 21,894 $ 6,067 $27,961 0.31 0.6% $ 719 $ 6,067 $6,786 54.931 100.0% $ 127,400 $ 54,600 $182,000 Notes: 1. Average Annual Daily Water Use =Average Annual Daily Water Use -System Processes -Sales to Other Systems. The data are for CY 2001 and reported by the Paztners. 2. Orange County's Average Annual Daily Water Use is based on the percentage of the Orange-Alamance Water System service area located within Orange County, as indicated in their 1997 Local Water Supply Plan. Page 13 of 14 TRIANGLE AREA WATER SUPPLY WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT ATTAC~IMENT C TABLE 1-WATER QUALITY SAMPLING SITES AND CONSTITUENTS No. USG S sam les per ar Near a Stream- Major Chloro- USGS Sampled supply flow ions, phyll Trace number Site Name by intake gage nutrients lakes metals 02085000 Eno River near Hillsborou h, NC USGS es es 6 -- 2 NCDWQ 02085070 Eno River near Durham, NC USGS' -- es 2'~ -- 2' Little River at SR 1464 near NCDWQ 0208521324 Oran a Facto , NC USGS' -- es 2" -- 2' Little River Reservoir at Dam 0208524845 near Bahama, NC USGS es n/a 4 4 2 NCDWQ 02085500 Flat River at Bahama, NC USGS' -- es 2' -- 2' Lake Michie at Dam neaz 02086490 Bahama, NC USGS es n/a 4 4 2 Cane Creek neaz Orange Grove, 02096846 NC USGS -- es 6 -- 2 Cane Cr Reservoir at Dam neaz 0209684980 White Cross, NC USGS es n/a 4 4 2 yes, NCDWQ funded 02096960 Haw River neaz B um, NC USGS' -- b COE 2' -- 2' Jordan Lake, Haw River Arm ab 0209719700 B. Everett Jordan dam, NC USGS -- n/a 4 4 Z New Hope Creek near Blands, NCDWQ 02097314 NC USGS' -- es 2' -- 2' Northeast Creek at Sr 1100 near NCDWQ 0209741955 Genlee, NC USGS' -- es 2' -- 2' Morgan Creek near White Cross, 02097464 NC USGS -- es 6 -- 2 University Lake at Intakes near 0209749990 Cha 1 Hill, NC USGS es n/a 4 4 2 Morgan Creek near Farrington, NCDWQ 02097521 NC USGS' -- es2 2' -- 2' Jordan Lake at Buoy 12 at 0209768310 Farrin on, NC USGS -- n/a 4 4 2 White Oak Cr at Green Level, 0209782520 NC' USGS -- es 6 -- 2 Jordan Lake above U.S. Highway 0209799150 64 near Wilsonville, NC USGS es n/a 4 4 2 Jordan Lake at Bells Landing near 0209801100 Griffins Crossroads, NC USGS es n/a 4 4 2 Haw R Below B. Everett Jordan 02098198 Dam near Moncure, NC' USGS' -- no4 2' -- 2' 0210140200 Dee River at Cazbonton, NC NCDWQ -- no -- -- -- Cape Fear River at State Highway 0210215985 42 near Brickhaven, NC USGS3 -- no° -- -- -- ' USGS storm-runoff site; maximum of 2 samples collected per year per site and maximum of 10 samples per year among all sites; site selection varies among years z Discharge from a nearby gage, site 02097517 s USGS sampling to be discontinued after June 2003 ° Discharge computed from other gaged sites or data sources Page 14 of 14 TRIANGLE AREA WATER SUPPLY WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROJECT AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT John M. Link, Jr., County Manager Orange County ATTEST: Page 4 of 14