Orange Water and Sewer Authority

Transcription

1 Orange Water and Sewer Authority NEWS RELEASE February 29, 2008 STAGE THREE WATER USE RESTRICTIONS AND WATER RATE SURCHARGES TO GO INTO EFFECT FOR OWASA CUSTOMERS OWASA TO CONTINUE PARTICIPATION IN DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE JOINT USE OF JORDAN LAKE WATER On February 28th, the OWASA Board of Directors formally declared a Stage Three Water Shortage. Stage Three Water Use Restrictions will be in effect as of Saturday, March 1 and Stage Three Water Rate Surcharges will be in effect as of March 17. (Please see the information below on the Stage Three water use restrictions and water rate surcharges.) The OWASA Board declared the Stage Three water shortage based on the following: Our lakes have steadily declined since they were last full in April, 2007 to 40 percent full as of February 28th. It is unprecedented for our lakes to be so low at this time of year. This may be another record-setting drought. Rainfall from May, 2007 through January, 2008 at our Cane Creek Reservoir, which is our community s primary water source, has been only 50 percent of normal. The National Weather Service has forecast that below normal rainfall will continue this spring. The water rate surcharges in effect in a Stage Three Water Shortage will provide a substantial incentive for customers to conserve, and will probably have more effect than the water use restrictions by themselves. OWASA is the community-owned, public non-profit water and sewer utility serving the Chapel Hill Carrboro community including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Hospitals. Jordan Lake Discussions After a staff report and discussion, the OWASA Board strongly endorsed OWASA staff s participation in discussions with staff from Durham, Chatham County and Orange County regarding the potential joint development of water supply facilities at Jordan Lake. Although OWASA s primary goal is to maximize the use of its local water resources through additional conservation measures and use of reclaimed water, the Board

2 recognizes that participation in a regional approach to Jordan Lake may provide very important strategic benefits to OWASA, such as a backup supply during an exceptional drought or other water supply emergencies. The Board requested that OWASA staff update the long-term water demand projections and water supply plan along with the evaluation of the benefits and costs of participation in regional facilities at Jordan Lake. OWASA will consider the Jordan Lake benefits and costs compared to other long-term water supply strategies, including greater conservation and expanded use of reclaimed water. OWASA s actual participation in the development of future facilities at Jordan Lake will depend on the results of that comprehensive evaluation, and consideration of the public input we receive in response to that work. OWASA will work closely with the Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County governments on this very important strategic issue. Stage Three restrictions on use of OWASA drinking water No irrigation with OWASA drinking water is permitted, except with hand-held hoses or watering cans. Such irrigation shall not occur more than three days each week (Tuesday, Thursday and/or Saturday for odd-numbered addresses; Wednesday, Friday and/or Sunday for even addresses); may be applied to non-grass plant material only; and is limited to one-half inch per week. All hoses used for hand watering shall be equipped with shutoff nozzles. No exterior use of OWASA drinking water shall result in the flow of water onto adjacent property or public right-of-way. OWASA drinking water shall not be used for any other outdoor purposes except for emergency fire suppression or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, or welfare. No OWASA drinking water may be used to wash vehicles or building exteriors. The protection of public health, safety, and welfare may, under special circumstances, require the use of limited amounts of OWASA drinking water for such purposes as washing out garbage trucks, cleaning up hazardous or other unsanitary materials, etc. if other practical alternatives are not available and water is used in the least practical amount. Water leaks shall be repaired within 10 days of notice by OWASA. No OWASA drinking water shall be used to flush or pressure test new water distribution lines unless that water is returned to the OWASA system through methods approved by OWASA. This restriction does not apply to the testing of in-building fire control sprinkler systems. No OWASA drinking water shall be used to fill or re-fill empty swimming pools or to top off operating swimming pools.

3 Water use at individually-metered residences and by individually-metered single-family residential irrigation-only customers is limited to an average of 600 per day in a monthly billing cycle while Stage Three restrictions are in effect. OWASA may temporarily terminate service for exceeding the 600 /day limit. Restaurants and dining facilities shall serve water only on request of a customer. Hotels, motels, and other facilities providing sleeping accommodations shall change bed linens only upon request of the customer, or upon customer changeover, or every five days for long-term customers. No bulk sale of OWASA drinking water will be allowed except for purposes necessary to maintain public health, safety, or welfare. No OWASA drinking water may be used for fire department training or equipment testing. Stage Three water rates and surcharges Rates for individually-metered residential customers, who pay increasing block water rates Block 1 0-2,000 / mo. No surcharge; Block 1 rate is $1.98/1,000 Block 2 3,000-5,000 /mo x normal Block 2 $5.875/1,000 Block 3 6,000-10,000 /mo. 2 x normal Block 3 $11.06/1,000 Block 4 11,000-15,000 / mo. 3 x normal Block 4 $22.38/1,000 Block 5 16,000 or more /mo. 4 x normal Block 5 $52.20/1,000 Rates for businesses, institutions, other non-residential customers and for multifamily developments with master meters (one meter serves multiple residences) In Stage 3 and Emergency water shortages, the surcharged water rate is 1.25 times the peak seasonal water rate of $5.85 per 1,000, for a surcharged rate of $7.31 per 1,000. Reclaimed water available at no charge for certain non-drinking purposes; minimum container size reduced to 50 In order to help people with irrigation and certain other non-drinking uses during the Stage Three water Shortage, OWASA is offering highly treated wastewater to people with containers that hold at 50 or more. OWASA offers the highly-treated or reclaimed water at its Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) on Old Mason Farm Road near Finley Golf Course in southeast Chapel Hill.

4 The reclaimed water is available on weekdays other than holidays between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Due to the current drought conditions, OWASA is not now charging for reclaimed water from the WWTP. OWASA began offering reclaimed water in November, 2007 initially for people with containers that hold at least 250. In order to help more people during the Stage Three water shortage, OWASA now fills individual containers that hold at least 50. Under the State s permit issued to OWASA, reclaimed water can be used only for the following: 1. irrigation of public and private landscapes and turf (grass); 2. street sweeping (but not street cleaning); 3. soil compaction and dust control; 4. cooling tower make-up water; 5. concrete mixing; 6. vehicle washing at government-owned facilities (no steam cleaning, engine or parts washing); 7. sewer cleaning by OWASA or contractors authorized by OWASA; and 8. firefighting. However, reclaimed water users and haulers must receive training, which is available on Thursdays at 9:30 AM. To receive the training, please call the Mason Farm WWTP staff at at least a day in advance. There is no fee for the training and it takes about 30 minutes. Containers used to carry reclaimed water must be specially marked as explained in the training, and reclaimed water cannot be stored for more than 72 hours. In July, 2007, OWASA completed wastewater treatment improvements at the Mason Farm plant which make it possible to use OWASA s highly treated wastewater for the non-drinking purposes listed above under State regulations. OWASA s wastewater treatment includes biological and chemical treatment, settling and filtration processes to remove solids, and disinfection with ultraviolet light. In addition, the reclaimed water available for allowable non-drinking purposes is further disinfected with chlorine. In January 2008, a contractor working for OWASA began construction of a new pump station, storage tank, and pipeline that will initially deliver reclaimed water from the Mason Farm WWTP to the southern part of the main campus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The reclaimed water system will initially provide make-up water for several of the University s chilled water plant cooling towers, where drinking water is now used. The reclaimed water system is expected to be complete around March It will initially meet about 600,000 a day of water needs, thereby reducing the community s drinking water needs by about 7 percent. The savings could grow to more than 2 million per day, or 13 percent of local water needs, in about 20 years. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Ed Kerwin, Executive Director, or ekerwin@owasa.org Ed Holland, Planning Director, or eholland@owasa.org

5 Patrick Davis, Utility Manager Generalist, or WATER CONSERVATION: part of our community s SUSTAINABLE quality of life 400 Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro, NC telephone: fax: webmaster@owasa.org Website: