Boone explores

changing water

conservation

ordinance
By Tiffany Allison
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The town of Boone has been racking its collective brain, trying to decide what to do about the problem of water shortage since Boone is considered to be in an extreme drought.

The Boone Town Council held another meeting on Wednesday to discuss issues related to the drought and water conservation with the Water Study committee.

Council members recommended amending Ordinance 05-01, its water conservation ordinance, to include a stipulation that the council may suspend approval of any new water applications if the water level reaches stage II or stage III shortage. The council may also direct Boone Public Utilities to withhold any new water allocations until further action by the council. The amendment will be voted on in the upcoming months.

Council member Janet Pepin discussed the issue of sewage and water, and how people who need sewage but do not need water have to apply for water to receive sewage. The council decided to keep its original ordinance, where if one uses the town’s sewage system they have to use their water system except under certain circumstances.

However, they decided to keep track of the sewage usage in the town of Boone.

A presentation on the new intake project was presented to the council by town manager Greg Young and Maggie Tilley with G&T Communications, a public relations firm the town has contracted to help the project through the public arena.

The presentation focused on why the town of Boone needs a new water intake facility. The new system would withdraw water out of the South Fork of the New River near the Watauga and Ashe county line for transmission back to Boone, where, after used, it would be cleaned and placed back into the river upstream from where it was originally withdrawn.

Ninety-nine percent of the town’s water is being replaced into the system and the water contains fewer impurities than when it was taken out.

“The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources recommends when a water system reaches 80 percent capacity a plan for expansion must be created. When the system reaches 90 percent the expansion must be under construction,” Young said.

“If it is not under way, the state could stop new water hookups to homes and businesses.”

Boone went over the 80 percent mark in 2006 and is projected to hit the 90 percent mark in 2009. Boone recently reached a Tier 1 rating, which means, according to the state, the town has less than a 100-day supply of water.

Young said Boone has taken many steps to limit the amount of water loss. In July, Boone’s water rates have risen to limit the quantities of water being used by residents and business owners.

The town started a water conservation effort in 2005, which included TV and radio time about water conservation, free leak detection for toilets, rain barrel giveaways, free home and business water audits for Boone citizens, childrens’ events to promote conservation and recycling, a 5,000 gallon rainwater cistern for watering plants in the downtown area and two annual river cleanups. The town is also in the process of creating a workshop for the local hotels and motels on the wise use of water.

The council decided to arrange another meeting with the water committee to discuss trigger levels and conservation issues in September.

For more information on local conservation recommendations, call Boone Public Utilities at (828) 266-1183 or visit www.townofboone.net/departments/pu/water/index.html on the Web.