Recently: Don’t let your guard down when it comes to drought

By Valarie Schwartz

University Lake is nearly full and though Cane Creek Reservoir is refilling, it is still not as full as it was at this time last year (on June 17, 2007 it was 92.7 percent full compared to 79.8 percent full Tuesday morning).

We don’t know yet if the drought is really over, but we’ve experienced an interruption and can breathe easier about our water supply.

Except now, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority has announced that it needs to increase rates.
The size of the proposed rate increase got some attention last week, with 28 folks attending the public meeting and 15 addressing the board of directors, many asking that the proposed 24.9 percent rate increase be reconsidered.

It’s a quandary, for sure. Times are truly tough, with many people — even in our affluent community — facing financial hardships like they’ve never imagined and leaving those living on fixed incomes wondering how they will survive.

Ed Kerwin, executive director of OWASA, explained the situation, which boils down to: The costs of operating have gone up while the amount of water sales has gone down.

“If there’s one comment we’ve heard most,” Kerwin said, “it is: ‘You asked me to conserve and I did — now you’re penalizing me with high rates and that simply isn’t fair.’

“We understand where you’re coming from,” Kerwin continued. “We understand it completely. And yes, you did conserve, it was really important that you did and we truly thank you for conserving. It’s important to our future. But water conservation, much like solid-waste recycling, does come with a price tag.”

The price on that tag is what is required to keep the water company afloat, so to speak. The costs required to operate don’t change significantly when less water is processed, but selling less water makes a significant difference.

“Next year, we now expect to treat 1.2 million gallons a day less on average than we previously forecasted,” Kerwin said. “We will save about $200,000 in chemical and energy costs, but we will not collect $2 million in revenue for that water.”

Besides the fact that people have learned to conserve, the university will soon have its reclaimed water system operating, which will greatly decrease its demand for water.

OWASA’s capital improvement costs of upgrading treatment plants, replacing old pipes before there are failures and making repairs and improvements will be compromised without more revenue.

Regulatory requirement changes may further impact OWASA by forcing more treatment of the wastewater that is discharged daily into Jordan Lake. The cost of some chemicals has gone up 400 percent, Kerwin said, with more increases likely — including gas. A lot of energy goes into producing potable water — and we all know that energy costs more all the time.

If only we had more time before the board has to decide next Thursday, before the new fiscal year begins July 1. No doubt, some people are already sliding back to their wasteful ways and the proof will be in the meter readings, with usage rising like the thermometer.

Mac Clarke, an OWASA board member, addressed usage at the meeting: “I think we’re a bit ambivalent on that. From a revenue point of view, we hope to sell a lot more water; but from the conservation point of view, we hope we don’t.”

All I know is, my rain barrels are empty and my vegetable garden will need watering soon if it doesn’t rain. No matter how we look at it, the cost of food is going up. And nothing pours faster these days than our income — dam it!