2016-03-22

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — State environmental officials are seeking comments on the Jordan Lake water supply allocation recommendations, which are based on the Cape Fear River water supply evaluation.

Approval of the recommendations will allocate around 96 percent of the water supply pool for use by Triangle communities to meet water supply needs through 2045.

The N.C. Environmental Management Commission is responsible for determining the amount of water that municipalities receive from Jordan Lake, which is the largest source of water for communities in the Triangle region.

The Jordan Lake Partnership says as the Triangle grows, its water needs will grow with it.

“Currently we have about 200 million gallons of water supply storage that’s online now in all the different jurisdictions. And to be able to meet that goal of 2016 we need to bring in 300 million gallons. So the allocation process is bringing some of that allocation online to be able to meet that future need of the Triangle so it can continue to grow,” said Don Greeley, Chair of the Jordan Lake Partnership.

The public meetings will give people a chance to provide feedback on the commission’s recommended allocations for the Triangle area’s water supply needs through 2045, including Cary, Raleigh and Durham.

The draft water supply allocation recommendations are as follows: Cary, Apex, Morrisville and Wake County, 46.2 percent; Chatham County, 13 percent; Durham, 16.5 percent; Holly Springs, 2 percent; Hillsborough, 1 percent; Orange Water And Sewer Authority, 5 percent; Orange County, 1.5 percent; Pittsboro, 6 percent; and Raleigh 4.7 percent

The Division of Water Resources will host two public meetings to discuss the contents of the recommendations. During the public meetings division staff will review both documents and answer questions and concerns from the public.

The first meeting is scheduled from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 22 in the Holmes Meeting Room at the Chatham Community Library, 197 N.C. Hwy. 87 North in Pittsboro. A second meeting is scheduled on March 30 from 4-6 pm in the Human Resources Training Room B at the New Hanover County Government Center, 230 Government Center Drive, Suite 135 in Wilmington.

The draft reports were reviewed by the Water Allocation Committee of the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission at its January 2016 meeting. The committee gave its approval for the N.C. Division of Water Resources to gather public input on both of the reports.

Comments on the draft documents can be submitted to the division through May 18 by email to jla4-cfrwse@lists.ncmail.net or by mail to Jordan Lake Comments, Division of Water Resources, 1611 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1611.

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