MINUTES OF A JOINT MEETING OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL AND

CHAPEL HILL APPOINTEES TO THE ORANGE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1992 AT 6:00 P.M.

Mayor Broun called the proceedings to order. Council Members in attendance were Julie Andresen, Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Joe Herzenberg, Alan Rimer and Arthur Werner. Council Member Roosevelt Wilkerson, Jr. was absent excused. Chapel Hill appointees to the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) Board of Directors were Tom McCurdy, James Mergner, David Moreau and Riley Wilson. Also in attendance was Town Board Designee Eva C. Metzger (filling an unexpired term expiring June 30, 1992) and Board Chairperson Lois Herring. Town staff in attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller. OWASA staff in attendance were Executive Director Everett Billingsley, Operations Manager Katie Kalb, Chief Engineer John Green and Attorney to the Board Bob Epting.

Mayor Broun said this evening's session had been called for the Council to receive information on the Bolin Creek Interceptor moratorium. He inquired whether Mr. Horton had introductory remarks. Mr. Horton said he did not. He stated that OWASA board members and staff were most knowledgeable on the moratorium.

OWASA Board Vice-Chairperson James Mergner said the board and staff would outline specific actions being taken by OWASA concerning the Bolin Creek moratorium. He stated that the authority's main mission was to keep the water and sewer systems reliable and safe for area residents. Mr. Mergner also said the board would review how capital projects might influence current circumstances.

Board Member Dr. David Moreau said that overflow problems on the Bolin Creek Interceptor could be attributed to stormwater infiltration from a series of beaver dams and the poor performance of a sewer line along Tanbark (Tanyard) Branch. Dr. Moreau said that the state's Division of Environmental Management had orally and informally informed the OWASA board and staff that once corrective actions where taken to remedy the two problem areas, the moratorium on the Bolin Creek Interceptor would be lifted. He indicated that the moratorium would likely end within two months. Dr. Moreau said the authority was committed to reducing the frequency of sewer overflows. He noted that a recent survey of sewer systems in ten U.S. cities found some very serious infiltration problems, with flows three to twenty times the norm occurring during rainfall events. Dr. Moreau said that OWASA's problems were serious, but not of this magnitude. He noted that sewer systems required on-going maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement.

Dr. Moreau said that there were over 3,500 individual connections and laterals, 1,800 manholes and sixty miles of sewer lines in the Bolin Creek watershed. He noted that OWASA had addressed overflows on other sewer lines in the past. Dr. Moreau said that OWASA had spent $3 million on sewer line replacements over the past fifteen years. He stated that the utility had recently conducted a three month television inspection program of sewer lines to identify system infiltration problems. Dr. Moreau said that corrective actions had been taken to eliminate approximately 600,000 gallons of inflow per day.

Dr. Moreau noted the importance of a good monitoring system as an early warning system to identify the location of sewer line inflows. He said that OWASA primarily relied on citizen complaints to report water and sewer line problems. Dr. Moreau said the OWASA board wished to add maintenance staff and move up capital projects. He showed a graphic comparing water and sewer rates in the Triangle area. Dr. Moreau said that OWASA's rates were in line with those in neighboring communities. A brief videotape of a television inspection of a 10 inch sewer line was presented.

Mayor Broun inquired whether the videotape had been made as a part of the monitoring program alluded to earlier by Dr. Moreau. Dr. Moreau said the videotape had been made with the utility's existing television inspection equipment, rather than the experimental temporary monitoring system. Mayor Broun inquired about the difference between temporary and permanent monitoring systems. Dr. Moreau said that more sophisticated sonic systems could sense depths and velocity of flows. He stated that permanent sonic systems would cost about $20,000, while non-sonic systems would cost considerably less.

Council Member Andresen inquired about the main cause of infiltration. Dr. Moreau said that beaver dams inundate manholes along sewer lines. He added that breaks in sewer lines caused serious problems. Council Member Andresen asked whether the Bolin Creek line had more infiltration problems than the utility's other lines. Dr. Moreau said he believed this was the case. He noted the most problematic portion of the line extended out to Chapel Hill High School.

Council Member Andresen inquired about the estimated cost of repairs to the Tanbark Branch line. Mr. Mergner said the repair would cost an estimated $145,000. Council Member Andresen inquired whether there would still be overflows after the repairs were made. Mr. Mergner said yes, noting that repairs would be made to only two thousand feet of line out of a sixty mile system in the watershed. Mr. Mergner said OWASA had not spent enough on sewer line rehabilitation in the last fifteen years. Council Member Andresen inquired how much it would cost to repair existing problems related to the Bolin Creek Interceptor. Mr. Mergner said he could not provide such a cost estimate. He stated that the first step being taken was to monitor overflows. Council Member Andresen said she was interested in seeing the problems corrected and in knowing how it could be accomplished. She inquired about the priority of repairs to the Bolin Creek Interceptor. Dr. Moreau said figures for long-term capital projects were not firm. He noted that sewer line infiltration problems existed in various areas of the Town. He said some very substantial capital improvements might be needed.

Mr. Mergner said the OWASA Board of Directors was committed to focus its attention and efforts on projects having the greatest certainty of reducing problems. Council Member Andresen inquired whether the moratorium had generated specific actions by the OWASA board. Mr. Mergner said yes, noting that the authority had taken some actions and there were more actions to be taken. He said the board was seeking specific answers on how to address problems concerning the Bolin Creek Interceptor.

Council Member Werner noted that one of OWASA's greatest needs was to set long-term priorities for its water and sewer systems. Dr. Moreau said the utility's most immediate priority was the maintenance of sewer lines. He noted that the Council had played an instrumental role in formulating the utility's priorities. Council Member Werner noted that past discussions between the Council and the Town's OWASA appointees had focused on individual matters rather than operational issues. He suggested that greater emphasis could be placed on maintenance of the utility's sewer system.

Dr. Moreau said the Town's board appointees were recommending that an annual report be made to the Council during the Town's budget process. Council Member Andresen said this approach would be very useful for the Council. Mr. Horton said staff was working on an agenda item concerning OWASA policies to be presented at the Council's March 23rd meeting. Mr. Mergner said he was a little reluctant having the Town's OWASA appointees reporting to the Council on what the Authority was planning to do. He said the board was committed to making sure that funds spent on the Bolin Creek Interceptor would have the greatest positive effect. Mr. Mergner said monitoring was a positive step in focusing the utility's resources.

Council Member Capowski said that water and sewer services should be provided on a crisis-free basis. He stated that the function of OWASA should be to anticipate problems. Council Member Capowski inquired about the location of the majority of the sixty miles of line in the Bolin Creek watershed. Dr. Moreau said the majority of lines were located under streets and behind homes. Council Member Capowski inquired about the composition of sewer pipes in OWASA's system. Dr. Moreau said clay pipes with PVC fittings were the present standard, but many different types of materials had been used to construct sewer lines over the past seventy-five to eighty years.

Council Member Capowski noted that although there was an unofficial arrangement to end the moratorium, the ultimate test of the Bolin Creek Interceptor would take place during the next heavy rain event. Dr. Moreau disagreed, stating that major problems probably would not occur until groundwater levels rose during the late fall and early winter. He re-emphasized the importance of monitoring sewer lines for infiltration and overflows. Council Member Capowski inquired what steps could be taken to assure that future crises would not occur. Dr. Moreau said there could not be any such guarantee. He said that monitoring and maintenance programs could be used to reduce problems. Council Member Capowski inquired about the frequency of visual inspections of sewer lines. Dr. Moreau said he did not know the frequency of such inspections. He noted that many problems were not obvious from visual inspection of lines.

Mr. McCurdy said OWASA had to spend more time on maintenance of its sewer collection system and greater emphases on television inspection and monitoring of sewer lines. Mr. Wilson said OWASA staff was in the midst of several maintenance projects. He added that an emphasis was being placed on keeping the utility's rates as low as possible. Mr. Wilson also noted that the utility's project priority list would be subject to periodic changes.

Council Member Rimer said sewer line problems were attributable to causes other than beaver dams. Council Member Rimer said he applauded rational planning programs. He said the utility was not well-served by managing its sewer system on a crisis basis. Council Member Rimer inquired about estimated percentages of wastewater treatment and base flows. Dr. Moreau said that on an average daily basis, flows were about twenty percent higher during February and March than during the summer. He emphasized the importance of additional monitoring of the sewer system. Council Member Rimer said reductions in infiltration could save money, which could be used to pay for maintenance of existing sewer lines. Council Member Rimer inquired about the number of miles of interceptor lines and collectors in OWASA's system. Mr. Green estimated between 220 and 250 miles of interceptor lines and collectors. Dr. Moreau noted that a monitoring system was the most cost-effective approach to handling sewer line problems.

Council Member Brown inquired whether the board anticipated that the moratorium would be lifted if beaver dams were removed and the section along Tanyard Branch were repaired. Dr. Moreau said that a responsible DEM official had made an informal oral statement to this effect. Council Member Brown inquired whether it was correct that this did not guarantee that problems would be remedied. Dr. Moreau said this was correct. Council Member Brown asked whether problems could possibly worsen. Dr. Moreau said actions were being taken to better identify the utility's resources. He stated that existing problems would be corrected over time. Dr. Moreau said all water and sewer utilities faced infiltration and inflow problems. He said it was both physically and fiscally impractical to construct a water-tight sewer system. Dr. Moreau said efforts were being made to reduce future problems. He stated that the staff's actions were commendable in light of limited resources. Dr. Moreau said it was not possible to guarantee that problems would not happen again.

Council Member Brown noted that the moratorium placed restrictions on additional hook-ups. Dr. Moreau said this approach was used to focus attention. He noted that prohibiting hook-ups was not a solution to the current problem. Council Member Brown said that OWASA and the Division of Environmental Management were remiss in not having addressed the situation earlier. She emphasized the importance of listening to citizens carefully. Council Member Brown expressed appreciation to those citizens who had brought the Bolin Creek Interceptor overflow situation to the Council's attention.

Council Member Chilton requested further elucidation on Mr. Mergner's concerns about the views of the Town's OWASA appointees. Mr. Mergner said each person served as individual board Authority members. He noted that there had not been sufficient time for the Town's appointees to develop positions prior to this evening's work session. Mr. Mergner said individual representatives were not functioning as Town appointees, but as equal board members. He added that Town appointees would be responsive to the concerns of Council Members. Council Member Chilton said although he appreciated that Mr. Mergner could not speak for other appointees, he disagreed with the assertion that Town appointees were just like other members of the board. Council Member Chilton said the Town's appointees had a majority interest in the nature of water and sewer service provision.

Council Member Herzenberg said he had noted for a number of years that OWASA officials referred to Tanyard Branch as Tanbark Branch. He suggested that OWASA and Town officials reach mutual agreement on naming this geographical feature. Council Member Chilton said it was his opinion as a geographer that Tanyard Branch was the proper designation.

Council Member Werner said it was the impression of a number of council members that OWASA had an expansionist outlook. Council Member Werner suggested that the utility emphasize operational concerns and the needs of ratepayers, with expansion taking a secondary role. He urged the OWASA Board to pay special attention to maintaining a quality water and sewer utility. Mayor Broun noted that many other matters could have been addressed this evening. He expressed appreciation to OWASA board and staff members for their attendance at the evening's work session.

The session concluded at 7:29 p.m.