17 Feb OWASA Board Approves Next Steps in Long-Range Water Supply Plan Update
***Join us at the Chapel Hill Public Library on April 23 to discuss our Long-Range Water Supply Plans!***
After careful deliberation as part of the ongoing Long-Range Water Supply Plan update, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors has determined Jordan Lake to be the most viable long-term alternative to augment our existing water supply.
OWASA is at low risk of running out of water in the near future, but our community remains vulnerable to extended drought. Based on demand and growth projections, there is also the possibility that our current local water supplies will not meet the community’s need as we approach 2070.
The Board voted on January 13, 2022, to include options to access OWASA’s Jordan Lake allocation after weighing various alternatives against a set of guiding principles used to navigate the discussion. To ensure that the community’s interests were represented in their consideration, the Board incorporated feedback received from the community in developing the guiding principles. The top priority among those guiding principles used by the Board was OWASA’s commitment to providing the community we serve with high-quality treated drinking water that meets or surpasses all federal and state public health requirements. Other factors included increasing the reliability and resiliency of our water supply and the impact on current and future rates for customers.
How exactly OWASA will access its allocation of water from Jordan Lake, which OWASA has held since 1988, remains a decision point for the Board. Currently, OWASA’s access to the allocated water is available through a series of non-binding mutual-aid agreements with other local utilities. A group of regional utilities – the City of Durham, the Town of Pittsboro, and Chatham County – are working toward the development of a new water treatment facility on the western side of Jordan Lake to meet future demands across those jurisdictions. OWASA is continuing discussions with this group, known as the Western Intake Partners, on how OWASA can work with those utilities to access OWASA’s Jordan Lake allocation in the future.
Supply Alternatives
When considering alternatives for the Long-Range Water Supply Plan update, the use of OWASA’s allocation of water from Jordan Lake consistently scored higher than other options, including expanding and enhancing our infrastructure to allow for access of water at deeper levels within the Quarry Reservoir and direct potable reuse. These other options presented higher capital costs, did little in increasing the resiliency of water supply and treatment, and presented legal obstacles.
OWASA will continue using University Lake, Cane Creek Reservoir, and the planned expansion of the Quarry Reservoir in the future. The Jordan Lake allocation builds on those water supplies.
Conservation
OWASA also considered demand-side management options for reducing the community’s need for additional treated drinking water through conservation efforts, but there was no conservation strategy identified that would have eliminated the possible need for additional raw water supply in the future. Our community has shown a strong commitment to conservation, and this has allowed OWASA to make efficient use of our current water supplies. However, that does not completely eliminate the need for additional water supplies in the future.
Resiliency
Jordan Lake has a watershed that is 28 times larger than the watersheds that flow into University Lake and Cane Creek Reservoir, OWASA’s primary drinking water sources. The Quarry Reservoir can only be filled by pumping water from Cane Creek Reservoir into the Quarry Reservoir, which is currently used for emergency storage. OWASA plans to move forward with an expansion of the Quarry Reservoir to add to our local water sources.
Jordan Lake’s larger watershed and the addition of a newly designed water treatment facility increase OWASA’s resiliency in being able to consistently deliver high-quality treated drinking water to customers for generations to come.
Next Steps
OWASA will be holding several events in 2022 to help inform the community and listen to feedback on the proposal before the Board votes on a final update to the Long-Range Water Supply Plan. These events include presentations to local elected officials and their advisory boards, informational sessions at the Chapel Hill Public Library, and updates to local community groups.
Updates on these events and Board discussions on the Long-Range Water Supply Plan will be available on the plan webpage.