Chapel Hill to Supply Durham With Water

Chapel Hill, N.C. — The Orange Water and Sewer Authority agreed Thursday to provide Durham with water for 30 days.

OWASA will provide about 1.5 million gallons of drinking water per day to Durham, which has less than six weeks of quality water left in its two main reservoirs, Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir.

“The water utilities and the communities they serve can best cope with this exceptionally severe drought by working together and helping each other as we have in the past,” OWASA Executive Director Ed Kerwin said in a statement. “We appreciate the opportunity to reciprocate the very timely help that the Durham community has given us many times.”

OWASA, which serves Chapel Hill and Carrboro, has about 214 days of drinking water available, Kerwin said. Providing 45 million gallons to Durham over the next month would reduce OWASA’s supply by 3 percent, or about six days of water, he said.

Durham also is working to tap 600 million gallons in an abandoned quarry to extend its water supply for about a month. The city also plans to double its purchase of water from Cary, to about 3.6 million gallons a day, beginning next month.

Kerwin said Durham has a track record of sharing water with Chapel Hill and Carrboro that dates to the 1960s.

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I am surprised Chapel Hill is doing anything good for Durham? Seems like they have enough problems of their own and may need that water one day.

Spooner
December 21, 2007 4:15 p.m.

i'm waiting to hear news about Durham planning a large scale reservoir for future use. still waiting..

pack-man
December 21, 2007 12:30 p.m.

talkabout, refer to my comment above (that was to prozacdispenser, but it looks like GOLO censors got to that post). Not all of us in Durham are idiots who waste water. But that's cool, I'll keep your thoughts in mind if you ever need help for anything...

sjb2k1
December 21, 2007 11:41 a.m.

As a Chapel Hill resident, I do not mind assisting Durham with water, just a timely question after I have been paying the ridiculus rates for my water & sewer, do we get some rebates on that?

givemeabreak
December 21, 2007 11:32 a.m.

Why are people so quick to denounce Durham and not help them out? Durham has been conserving water (probably not as long as they should have) and have cut their usage 40% or so.

Plus, Durham's water supply comes from Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir, which both have extremely small watersheds, so even if it does rain, they don't get much water. Plus, Lake Michie is fed by the Flat River which as of the drought conference yesterday is now a zero flow stream. That is, it has no water running in it!

Now, Cary and OWASA, etc. use Jordan Lake which is at 100% capacity for drinking water. Jordan Lake has a much larger watershed extending back into Guilford County. If they have the water and their willing to help (or sell), then why shouldn't the sister municipalities help out?

Quit being so cynical. It's Christmas time for Pete's Sake!