Policy Issues - Water Allocation at Jordan lake

POLICY ISSUES
WATER ALLOCATION AT JORDAN LAKE

1. Allocation for short-term or long-term needs:

Future demand for water becomes more and more difficult to predict,
as the projection period extends further into the future. Near-term
needs can be more accurately determined. The EMC may wish to deal
with this difficulty by allocating water from Jordan Lake for relatively
near-term needs, such as 20 years. This could be further conditioned
by making allocations only to those communities with firm plans to
begin using the water within five years. Following this approach,
initial allocations would be made for these near-term needs, with the
remainder of the water held in reserve to be allocated at 10-year
intervals in response to the actual development of future water needs.

An alternative approach that the EMC should consider is to request
long-range water supply projections from local governments, and to
allocate the entire supply from Jordan Lake at one time. This approach
has the advantage of giving local governments more certainty about the
water sources on which they can rely for future needs. A possible dis-
advantage would be the risk of making allocations that would not be
consistent with the actual pattern of demand that subsequently developed.
This could result in unused over-allocations to some local governments,
while other local governments had a smaller allocation than needed.

2. Regional cooperation:

Jordan Lake is a potential water supply source for a number of communities
in a rapidly growing urban region. There are great opportunities for
regional cooperation in the use of water from Jordan Lake Regional co-
operation could include joint construction of water supply intakes, joint
construction and operation of water supply treatment and distribution
systems, and the formation of regional water authorities that could
obtain water allocations for a number of communities working together.
Regional cooperation has a number of potential benefits, including signifi-
cant economies of scale in the construction of water intake, treatment
and distribution systems, and more flexibility to respond to future growth
patterns in the allocation of water within the area of the authority.
One regional water authority, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority, has
already expressed interest in water from Jordan Lake. There is active
discussion on the formation of another authority in southwest Wake County.
The EMC needs to consider how strongly it wishes to encourage regional
cooperation of this type.

3. Date of submission of requests:

Local governments have submitted expressions of interest in water from
Jordan Lake and requests for allocations over a period of years. Between
1968 and 1981, the Department received requests for allocations from 5
entities. In 1982, the Department conducted a survey to get non -binding
expressions of interest in water from Jordan Lake for planning purposes.
This survey produced a number of responses, partially overlapping with
the earlier responses. Since 1982, the Town of Cary has made a formal
application for a water supply allocation from Jordan Lake. None of

these previous expressions of interest or requests for allocation have
involved any binding commitments on the part of the local government
submitting the request. Neither the Commission nor the Department have
taken any action on the requests. The Department has notified each
applicant that its request would beheld on file for action at the time
the EMC began the allocation process.

The Commission needs to determinewhether it will give any particular
priority to these earlier requests, or whether it will start a new
application process and ask for current official requests in a standard
format for all those local governments who wish to take part in the
allocation process.

4. Interbasin transfer:

State statutes require that any diversion of water from one watershed
to another by a water authority or by cities and counties acting jointly
be approved by the Environmental Management Commission. The Commission
should consider the applicability of this statute to water allocation
requests from Jordan Lake and coordinate these two decisions where
appropriate. When the EMC. begins to discuss tentative allocation plans,
the Division of Water Resources will beprepared to analyze the effects
on Jordan Lake levels and on flows downstream in the Cape Fear River of
any proposed allocation plan.

5. Water use projections:

Local governments requesting water supplies from Jordan Lake may use a
variety of methods in projecting their future population and future water
requirements. Water supply allocationrequests also need to be considered
in the context of each community's existing and potentialwater supply
sources other than Jordan Lake. The Division of Water Resources will be
prepared to provide the Commission independent population and water use
projections and a summary of the existingand potential alternative supply
sources available to each requesting community.

State of North Carolina
Department of Natural Resources and Community Development
512 North Salisbury Street • Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
James G. Martin, Governor S. Thomas Rhodes, Secretary
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION

June 11, 1985

Dear Local Government Official:

Over a period of years, a number of local governments have
expressed interest in the potential of using Jordan Lake as a
water supply source. This letter is being sent to all of those
communities that we have on record to keep them informed on the
status of consideration of water supply use of Jordan Lake.

The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission is
responsible for several decisions concerning possible water supply
use of Jordan Lake, including water classification, water quality
protection, and the allocation of specific amounts of water to
requesting communities.

The Commission does not intend to make any allocations of
water supply from Jordan Lake until it is satisfied that water
quality is suitable for a public water supply source, and until
it has developed a written procedure for the water supply allocation
process. This procedure will be circulated to the public before
any allocation is made.

In September 1983, the Environmental Management Commission
reclassified most of Jordan Lake A-11 for potential water supply
use. This classification will allow the Commission to take measures
to protect the lake for future water supply use. At that time, the
Commission started its intent to review further information on
Jordan Lake water quality to make sure that its actual quality is
suitable for a water supply source before making any allocation for
use. The Division of Environmental Management completed a major
report on Jordan Lake water quality in early 1985. The Commission
is now reviewing and following up on this report. Further informa-
tion on water quality is being gathered to allow this evaluation
to be completed.

P.O. Box 27687. Raleigh, North Carolina 27611-7687 Telephone [phone]

Letter to Local Government Official
June 11, 1985
Page 2

Parallel with the water quality evaluation, the Environmental
Management Commission has asked the Division of Water Resources
to start work on some items that must be completed before the
Commission can consider allocating water supplies from Jordan Lake.
These items include preparation of a draft contract between the
State of North Carolina and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for
water supply cost repayment, survey of potential sites for water
intakes at Jordan Lake, and development of a discussion paper on
procedures for water supply allocation.

The Commission welcomes suggestions and comments by any
interested parties on the location of intake sites, allocation
procedures, and possibilities for regional cooperation in the
potential use of Jordan Lake as a water supply source. Comments
on these subjects should be sent to the Division of Water Resources,
Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, P.O. Box
27687, Raleigh, North Carolina 27611.

The Commission will continue to keep interested parties informed
as its consideration of Jordan Lake water quality and potential water
supply use continues.

Sincerely yours,

Jerry D. Lewis
Chairman

6/11/85

MAILING LIST

Mr. Marvin K. Hoffman
County Manager
Chatham County
PO Box 87
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Mr. Earl D. Thompson, Chairman
Chatham County Board of Commissioners
Route 1
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Mr. Jack P. Justice
Mayor, Town of Psttsboro
PO Box 753
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Mr. Don Brookshire
Town Manager
Town of Pittsboro
PO Box 753
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Mr. Kenneth R. Thompson
County Manager
Orange County
Courthouse, 106 E. Margaret Lane
Hillsborough, NC 27278

Mr. Donald Willhoit
County Commissioner
Orange County
203 Tariugton Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Mr. Everett Billingsley
Director
Orange Water & Sewer Authority
PO Box 366
Carrboro, NC 27510

Mr. . Edmund Aycock, Chairman
Wake County.Board of Commissioners
352 Transylvania Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27609

Mr. Richard Y. Stevens
County Manager, Wake County
PO Box 550
Raleigh, NC 27602

Mr. Harold D. Ritter
Mayor, Town of Cary
PO Box 1147
Cary, NC 27511

Mr. James A. Summers
Town Manager, Town of Cary
PO Box 1147
Cary, NC 27511

Mr. John William Hurley
Mayor, City of Fayetteville
234 Green Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301

Mr. John P. Smith
City Manager
City of Fayetteville
234 Green Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301

Mr. Rex McLeod, Mayor
City of Sanford
PO Box 338
Sanford, NC 27330

Mr. O. B. Stokes
City Manager
City of Sanford
PO Box 338
Sanford, NC 27330

Mr. John W. Forbis, Mayor
City of Greensboro
PO Drawer W-2
Greensboro, NC 27402

Mr. William Carstarphen
City Manager
City of Greensboro
PO Drawer W-2
Greensboro, NC 27402

Mr. Charles B. Markham, Mayor
City of Durham
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC .27701

Mr. Orville Powell
City Manager
City of Durham
101 City Hall Plaza
Durham, NC 27701

Mr. M. H. Brock
County Manager
Harnett County
PO Box 759
Lillington, NC 27546

Mr. Jesse Alphin, Chairman
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
Route 4
Dunn, NC 28334

Mr. Kurt Taube, Executive Director
Lower Cape Fear Water & Sewer Authority
PO Box 1673
Wilmington, NC 28401

Mr. Clifford Strassenburg
County Manager
Cumberland County
Courthouse, Dick Street
Fayetteville, NC 28302

Mr. Charles Speegle, Chairman
Cumberland County Board of Commissioners
2214 Mirror Lake Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28302

Mr. R. C. Smith, County Manager
Alamance County
124 W. Elm Street
Graham, NC 27253

Mr. C. Leonard Alcon, Chairman
Alamance County Board of County Commissioners
2335 Venie Street
Burlington, NC 27215

Mr. Larry M. Jordan, Mayor
Town of Apex
PO Box 250
Apex, NC 27502

Mr. Alfred M. Johnson, Mayor
Town of Fuguay-Varina
PO Box 158
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Mr. William U. Lee, Town Manager
Town of Fuquay-Varina
PO Box 158
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

RECORDED REQUESTS FOR ALLOCATION OF JORDAN LAKE WATER SUPPLY
RECEIVED BY
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Requesting Request
Organization Nature of Request Date Amount Requested
1. Chatham County Letter from register 9-68 10 MGD to 1980
of deeds 20 MGD after 1980
2. UNC-Chapel Hill Letter from Vice- 7-69 10 MGD to 1980
Chancellor, Financial 25 MGD after 1980
Affairs
Letter from executive 4-81
Orange Water and director reaffirming
Sewer Authority interest expressed by
UNC-Chanel Hill
3. Wake County Resolution of Board 11-76 100 MGD
of County Commissioners
4. Fayetteville Resolution by 11-76 10 MGD for 1985-95
Public Works Commission 15 MGD for 1995-99
35 MGD after 2000
5. City of Sanford Letter from 5-79 25 MGD
engineering assistant

Note: Other cities have requested information on the allocation process
and/or requested to be included in allocation discussions.

Results of a 1982 survey of local governments to get
non-binding expressions of interest in water from
Jordan Lake.

CUMULATIVE PROJECTIONS OF WATER REQUIREMENTS
FROM JORDAN LAKE (l)

CUMULATIVE ALLOCATION REQUESTED IN MGD
WATER SYSTEM 1982-1991 1992-2001 2002-2011 2012-2021

Orange County 0 13 19 25
(Includes Hillsborough, Orange Alamance Inc.,
Orange Water and Sewer Authority)

Greensboro 0 25 25 25

Fayetteville 0 15 25 35

Chatham County 10 15 20 30

Wake County (2) (2) (2) 45 (3)
(Includes Apex , Raleigh, Zebulon,
Wake Forest ,Fuquay Varina , Garner,
Knightdale, Rolesville, Wendell,
Holly Springs)

Durham 0 0 25 25
(Includes Durham County)

Sanford - - - 25 (4)
(Includes Lee County and Broadway)

Cary 6 10 15 20

TOTAL 16 78 129 230

Notes: (1) This table is based on planning figures supplied by local governments. Preparation of the table
required some Interpretation of letters received from local governments, which provide more inform-
ation on the specific interest expressed by each. Local governments will have an opportunity to
make a formal request for an allocation of water from Jordan Lake at a later time.

(2) Wake County may wish to develop a water supply at Jordan Lake before the 2012-2021 period.

(3) Wake County has requested 65 MGD that Includes 20 MGD for Cary. The 45 MGD shown excludes the
20 MGD requested by Cary.

(4) At such time that it is needed, Sanford will make a request for 25 MGD.

RECENT EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN
JORDAN LAKE WATER SUPPLY

1. The municipalities of Cary, Garner, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs,
Apex, and Morrisville have been actively discussing the proposed
formation of a Southwest Wake County Water Authority Press
reports indicate that the participating communities are consider-
ing a request of 50 million gallons per day from Jordan Lake. If
the formation of the authority goes forward, it may affect the
previous requests submitted by Wake County and by the Town of Cary.

2. The Department recently received an inquiry from Durham County
concerning the availability of water from Jordan Lake. Durham
County may be submitting a request for consideration in the allo-
cation process in the near future.

JORDAN WATER ALLOCATION
Procedures and Schedules

Action Date
Committee work session on
draft contract with
federal government

Commission action on
contract

Committee work session
on draft proposal on
policies, procedures, and
schedules for allocation

Committee work session with
local government represen-
tatives on policies and
procedures

Commission adoption of
policies and procedures
for allocation

Invitation to local govern-
ments to submit allocation
requests

Staff analysis of requests

Committee work session on
requests: evaluation of
water demand, alternative
sources, regional cooperation,
and environmental effects

Staff preparation of tenta-
tive allocation plan

Action Date

Committee work session on
tentative allocation plan

Public meeting on tentative
allocation plan

Commission action on allo-
cation plan