CCEC Bulletin: 
CCEC, Inc. - 1/27/2007

County Water Facts & FAQ’s
 
An Invitation To Become “Water Wise”

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners (BoC) is conducting a public information exchange on the county’s WATER issues to be held Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Superior Courthouse on the traffic circle in Pittsboro.  In our earlier bulletin this week CCEC highlighted the potential costs of meeting the growing needs for potable (drinkable) water.  In this follow up bulletin we seek to address potential questions on the minds of citizens as we prepare for Monday’s information exchange.
 
A Brief History
For years a large number of Chatham County citizens have been dependent upon wells to meet their needs for potable water, while other residents’ needs were met through water supplied by county and municipal sources.  In some cases wells no longer meet the current needs for potable water, and the supply of county and municipal generated water is being stressed by the growing demand throughout the county.
          The specifics of supply vs. demand for Chatham now and into the future will be thoroughly presented at Monday’s information exchange.  The following questions and answers should help to prepare citizens for that presentation.
 
Frequently Asked Questions
 
Some Basics:
 
Q: When I open the tap, where does that water come from?

A: That depends on where you live:

- It comes directly from the ground (underground aquifers) if you draw from a well.

- If not from a well, then it comes from a river (Haw or Rocky) if you are supplied by municipal (town) water; or from a lake (Jordan) if you are supplied by county water.  There are exceptions, but that’s the rule.
 

Q: How do I know if I’m supplied by municipal or county water?

A: If you live within the defined boundaries of a town (for instance Pittsboro or Siler City), which includes the surrounding area of the town known as the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), then you are supplied by municipal water sources.  Outside of such boundaries, you get your water from the county water sources.
 

Q: How do I know the water from the tap is safe?
A:
- If you own a well, it is your responsibility to have it tested and to filter it. 

- If you are on municipal or county water, it is that authority’s responsibility to process it through a treatment facility that is monitored to meet health quality standards.


The Challenges (Problems):
 
Q: Jordan is a big lake. How can we ever exhaust that source of water?
A: Jordan IS a big lake, relatively speaking.  But even though it is located in our county, it doesn’t belong to us.  We can’t have all of its water.  We have to share with people in neighboring rapidly growing municipalities and counties.  Them’s the rules!
 
Q: Who makes and enforces those water sharing rules?

A: The simple answer for our purposes (and we’re going to keep it simple) is that the US Army Corps of Engineers “allocates” (allows) the county 6 million gallons per day (6 MGD), and other users also have allocation limits.
 
Q: 6 MGD sounds like a lot of water.  So, what’s the problem?
A: First of all, while the county is allowed 6 MGD, it only has the capacity to process/pump 3 MGD.  While this covers the current demands on its water resources (averaging 0.903 MGD, and peaking at 1.80 MGD), it is insufficient for future demands.
 
Q: Why is it insufficient for future demands, and what are the demands?

A: Given the rapid increase in the numbers of approved residential developments over the recent years, the projections indicate that with the build out of all these units (appx. 10 years) the demand will outstrip the supply:
                    Average daily demand – 2.24 MGD
                    Peak demand (2x average) – 4.49 MGD
                    Required production capacity (400gpd/customer) – 5.10 MGD

The 5.10 MGD is conservative, and there are losses in the water treatment process.  More importantly, these projections do not include any future developments, but only those already approved at this time.

 
Q: A price tag of $70,000,000.00 was estimated for current and future
          water related projects.  What was or is the need for these projects?

A: Let’s review each of them with information supplied by the County Manager:
- Pea Ridge transmission line ($8,034,220):  While the primary source for county water is Jordan Lake, some is also purchased from Siler City and Sanford. 
This line would eliminate needs from those sources.
- N. Chatham Hydraulic Improvements ($2,290,559):  To increase water pressure
in the llines in the NE part of the county and supply Governors’ Club.
- Silk Hope Water Main Extension ($1,700,000): To extend water to the
school.
- Southern Supreme Water Main ($355,596): Approved by the former BoC
as an economic development project serving Southern Supreme and other
residents along the water line.
- Western Transmission Lines ($13,000,000): To serve SW area of county
with some possible use in SE, and link water lines to county areas now
served with water from Siler City.
- Harnett County Water Supply  ($57-59,000,000): Potential contract to
purchase water from Harnett County.
- High Service Pump Station Upgrade ($11-13,000,000): Originally the
rationale and design was for a high service pump to move water to SE
Chatham and 3M plant via Pea Ridge Road line.  Final designs are on
hold subject to decision on purchasing water from Harnett County.
 

Final Thoughts
          As the amenities of Chatham County which are found in its natural water resources, its agricultural and forested land and its diverse and talented populace are recognized by people desirous of such amenities as well as those who wish to profit by the sale and development of land, there will be a price to pay in terms of changing aesthetics, loss of quality and quantity of natural resources and an increased cost of infrastructure.
          The problem of supply vs. demand that will be addressed in the matter of water usage in Chatham County Monday evening is but one piece of a bigger picture of growth that challenges the values, intellect, creativity and will of people who are stuck in an economic system that perpetuates an unsustainable style of living which ultimately destroys the very attributes that the populace most desires.
          While human ingenuity and advancements in technology may afford some hope in addressing the immediate problem as well as the bigger picture, the real hope lies first in the recognition of the urgency of the problem at hand, and then in the ability of people to shift their mind set and ultimately cause nothing less than a paradigm shift in their consumptive culture.
          The choice is ours to make that shift and set the direction for a more sustainable future, or to perpetuate the same old lifestyle that leads us down the path toward even more insurmountable problems.  It is as the TV commercial says: “Pay me now… or pay me later.”  Either way there is some price to be paid.  We may have reached a time in history when we can no longer afford the luxury of following the same old worn path.