20051457 Ver 1_Water board seeks state help to get upper Cleveland reservoir approved - Gaston Gazette.msg_20120319

Strickland, Bev
From: Kritzer, Jamie Damie.kritzer @ncdenr.gov]
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 9:24 AM
To: Jackson, Donna; Fransen, Tom; Godreau, Jessica; Kritzer, Jamie; Peele, Linwood; Reed, Steven;
Reeder, Tom; Midgette, Robert; Young, Sarah; Wilson, Nat; Freeman, Dee; Inman, Lloyd; Marlies,
Jessica M.; Jones, Linda; Jones, Lori; Barsness, Kari K; Kees, Diana; Knight, David; Mcgee, Melba;
Smith, Robin; Taylor, Kenneth; Thompson, Mary P.; Ozer, Trina S; West, Wanda; Wilder, Manly
Subject: Water board seeks state help to get upper Cleveland reservoir approved - Gaston Gazette
Water board seeks state help to get upper Cleveland
reservoir approved
March 16, 2012 10:52 PM
ShareThisI Print Story I E -Mail Story
Raharrn Clark
A recently enacted law could provide the extra backing needed to move the proposed upper Cleveland County
reservoir forward.
State agencies met with the Cleveland County Water Board of Commissioners and water district manager Butch
Smith on Wednesday.
Tom Reeder, director of the N.C. Division of Water Resources, said the county water board passed a resolution
asking for the state's assistance in getting the reservoir permitted under House Bill 609.
"That's why I came," Reeder said. "Seeing how we can help."
House Bill 609, a newly enacted session law, promotes water supply development through participation
between state and local officials.
Local governments can form a partnership with the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
and the state will assist the local government in applying for federal permits and identifying alterative water
supplies.
Cleveland County Water will arrange funding for costs of the state assistance not to exceed $100,000, according
to a resolution adopted last June.
The county water district is currently in the process of completing an environmental impact statement for the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineers will then approve or deny the permit for the reservoir.
"We feel like we're beating our heads against the wall," said Amy Bridges, of the water board. "The state's
saying we need impoundments, we're trying to get this and everybody's against us."

Reeder suggested going to the top of the chain of command and advised board members to speak to Army
Corps of Engineers Col. Steven Baker instead of just the project manager.
"I would think as passionate as you are about this reservoir, I think it would be worth it," Reeder said. "You
want to try get ahead of the curve."
He said the recent legislation tries to influence the decision by the Army Corps of Engineers.
"You've got to get the Army Corps on your side," Reeder said.
Smith said customer -wise, the Cleveland County Sanitary District is in the top 20 water suppliers in the state.
The district also provides water as a backup for area data centers.
Smith said recently, a Kings Mountain water line was struck while drilling work was being done and the water
was cut off to the Walt Disney Co. data center in Kings Mountain.
The county supplied the facility with crucial water for the data center's servers for around three hours.
Don Melton, chairman of the water board, said he frequently hears the question: "When are we going to get the
lake ?"
He said the process is long and time - consuming, but one the board has pursued for years.
"Everybody wants water," Melton said. "It's more important than gas. We don't want to just give up. We want
to do all we can do. We're going to go as far as we can with it."
When the board was asked how the water impoundment structure would be paid for, commissioners said they
were focusing on obtaining the necessary permit first.
"We haven't got that far," Melton said. "We've got some money in- house. There's different sources of
funding."
Money, he said, was a secondary concern.
The issue, Smith said, will go to a vote at some point, and he said if people are in favor of the reservoir, the
water district will find a way to pay.

Reach reporter Rebecca Clark at 704 - 669 -3344.
Read more: http: / /www.gastongazette.com /articles/ water - 68825 - board- state.htmI #ixzz1pZjtcrGd
Jamie Kritzer
Public information officer
N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources
1601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699 -1601
(919) 707 -8602 office
E -mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and
may be disclosed to third parties.