18 Apr OWASA Invites Public to Learn More About Long-Range Water Supply Plan at Chapel Hill Public Library April 23
Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) is continuing the process of updating the community’s Long-Range Water Supply Plan to ensure we continue providing essential services to the community for future generations. This current process to update the Long-Range Water Supply Plan is projecting water-demand needs through 2070.
OWASA staff members will be on-site at the Chapel Hill Public Library (100 Library Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514) with the OWASA Water Wagon from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, to provide updates to library visitors and offer another opportunity for the general public to learn more and ask questions of the OWASA Team about this work. The event will include a short presentation at 1 p.m., which will be repeated at 3 p.m., on the library’s outdoor terrace. Otherwise, the OWASA Team will be available to answer questions and provide additional information about the Long-Range Water Supply Plan update.
The OWASA Board of Directors and staff have been working collaboratively with community stakeholders and local government partners to identify and evaluate the need, costs, and benefits of various alternatives to increase the resiliency of our water supply. This evaluation included weighing various alternatives and how feasible each alternative was to meeting our community’s long-term water demand needs.
After completing this methodical analysis of alternatives, the OWASA Board of Directors has determined that augmenting our local water supplies (Cane Creek Reservoir, University Lake, and the Quarry Reservoir) with treated drinking water from Jordan Lake is the most viable alternative for providing resilient, high-quality, and cost-effective drinking water for years to come. A group of local governments – the City of Durham, the Town of Pittsboro, and Chatham County – are also currently evaluating the placement and construction of a new water treatment facility on Jordan Lake, and OWASA’s Board is evaluating if and to what extent to join in those efforts as part of this Long-Range Water Supply Plan update.
The OWASA Board will be considering next steps to take regarding the update to the Long-Range Water Supply Plan in the coming months. You can find more information about steps taken so far in this update of the Long-Range Water Supply Plan here.