20051457 Ver 1_DFW DRAFT Letter to Cleveland Co .msg_20120217

DRAFT February 17, 2012 DRAFT
Mr. Don Melton, Chairman
Cleveland County Water
P.O. Box 147
Casar, NC 28020
Subject: Partnership Request
Water Supply Alternatives Evaluation
Cleveland County Water
PWS I D# 01 -23 -055
Cleveland County
Dear Chairman Melton,
Dee Freeman
Secretary
Thank you for the Resolution that you sent us dated February 14, 2012. In that
Resolution, it was requested that the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) enter into an agreement with Cleveland County Water to jointly
apply for a Federal permit for construction of the proposed Upper Cleveland Reservoir.
As per S.L. 2011 -374 (House Bill 609), DENR may honor a water supply system's
request to become a co- applicant for all required federal approval. However in
accordance with NCGS 143- 355.7(e), before doing so DENR must first identify the most
practicable alternative.
We realize that Cleveland County Water has been working with the Army Corps of
Engineers for several years now to identify the area's water supply needs and potential
alternatives to meet these needs. We also realize that both EPA and the Corps have
expressed the need for further evaluations to identify the lease environmentally
damaging practical alternative.
In order to expedite our efforts to identify the system's water supply needs and the most
practicable alternative to meet this need, we request your assistance in compiling
additional background information on your water system. Your staff will be contacted by
Division of Water Resources staff within the next few days to schedule a meeting. At
this meeting, staff will discuss the specifics of the information that will be required by the
various review agencies in order to perform the comprehensive alternatives
assessment.
1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -1611
Phone: 919 - 707 -9000 \ FAX: 919 - 733 -3558 Internet: www.ncwater.org
An Equal Opportunity \ Affirmative Action Employer — 50% Recycled \ 10% Post Consumer Paper

Partnership Request
Page 2
After the necessary background information has been compiled, the next step in this
process will be to schedule a scoping meeting with you and the state and federal review
agencies. These scoping meetings are extremely beneficial in that they help to identify
key issues that we will need to consider as we analyze your future water supply options.
Furthermore, early scoping meetings with the review agencies can also help reduce the
time needed and the cost of the alternative evaluations.
We are looking forward to working with you on this project. Thank you very much for
your proactive efforts to provide your customers with a safe and reliable supply of
drinking water and we are pleased that you have asked us to participate in this
endeavor. Please feel free to contact me at tom.reeder @ncdenr.gov or (919) 707 -9027
or Linwood Peele at linwood.peele @ncdenr.gov or (919) 707 -9024 if there is a need for
any additional information or clarification or if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Reeder
Cc: Clyde E. Smith, District Manager, Cleveland County Water
Robin Smith, Assistant Secretary of DENR
Chuck Wakild, Director, Division of Water Quality
Jessica Godreau, Chief, Public Water Supply Section
Britt Setzer, Regional Engineer, Public Water Supply Section
Linwood Peele, Supervisor, Water Supply Planning Branch
1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699 -1611
Phone: 919 - 707 -9000 \ FAX: 919 - 733 -3558 Internet: www.ncwater.org
An Equal Opportunity \ Affirmative Action Employer — 50% Recycled \ 10% Post Consumer Paper