Montgomery County commissioners have put a great deal of money and effort into rehabilitating the county’s water plant and expanding water lines in recent years. Now, as they consider the possibility of additional water sales to Moore County, they have a lot of what Chairman Jackie Morris terms “what if’s” to consider.
Water plant capacity
The water treatment plant is designed and permitted to produce up to 6 million gallons a day (mgd), and the county’s permit to withdraw water from Lake Tillery is the same amount. In recent years, the plant has averaged 4 mgd; however, the amount of water actually sold is significantly less than that.
Installation of new equipment to better monitor and control levels in water tanks around the county, as well as the new automatic read water meters for county customers and upgrades to the filtration system are expected to better control losses as well as get a better handle on the amount actually used. Although it will take a few more months for more precise figures, Hobbs Upchurch engineer Wes Carter estimates the system could have between 2 and 3 mgd capacity available above what’s needed for current sales.
Those figures are also below the 80 percent of capacity at which the state requires water systems to show evidence of planning for plant expansion. For the Montgomery plant, that figure is 4.8 mgd.
Water sales contracts with the five towns provide for a combined maximum sale of 10 mgd, although in the last two fiscal years, the amount of actual sales to the towns was much lower, an estimated average of 1.1 mgd in 2007-08, which dropped to 964,500 a day in 08-09. The reduction is due in part to lost business and industry as well as increased customer water conservation since the recent droughts.
Inter basin transfer sales
Montgomery County currently also sells to bulk and individual water customers in the adjoining Lumber and Cape Fear river basins, which are permitted by the state through an inter basin transfer (IBT) permit. The river basin line runs approximately along U.S 220.
Those sales include a contract with the town of Robbins, which provides for a maximum 10.8 million gallons a month. The actual sales are well below that figure, with most months in the last fiscal year running between 5 million and 8.8 million gallons a month.
Other users outside the Yadkin-Pee River Basin get Montgomery County water from the water line that runs along Hwy. 211 east from Candor, and include industrial and residential customers, some in county and some out of county.
The county’s current IBT permit allows for a maximum daily out-of-basin transfer of 2.03 mgd. Carter has estimated actual IBT sales for 2009-10 at a maximum daily amount of 1.2 mgd, which includes the maximum contracted amount for Robbins.
Robbins officials have in the past,suggested reducing their maximum contract to better reflect actual use, and with their contract coming up for renewal in January, commissioners and county staff will consider a reduction that would free up additional amounts for IBT.
Additionally, about two years ago Robbins officials briefly discussed the possibility of selling water to Montgomery County if the town ever puts its water plant back in operation. County Manager Lance Metzler said it has been off line for a number of years due to costs of operating the old plant. If that occurred, it would a positive impact on Montgomery’s IBT capacity.
“A lot of our numbers are based on the old meter figures, and I believe we will have more available capacity to transfer once we get a better handle on lost and unaccounted for sales,” explained Metzler.
What if’s
One of the major issues commissioners will have to consider as they discuss Moore County’s request to purchase up to an additional 500,000 gallons a day, is the IBT permit.
If the Fibrowatt plant becomes a reality, east of Biscoe and outside the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, they have asked for a maximum of 300,000 gallons a day. That amount, plus the amount requested by Moore County, would take Montgomery to its IBT permit limit.
If that happens, and without an increase in the IBT permit, the county would be left without additional capacity to transfer water for other possible customers, including potential customers in a proposed industrial mega site on the Moore-Montgomery county line. Any significant expansion of water use would also eventually require an expansion at the water plant to increase capacity.
Both items are lengthy and expensive procedures. Recent information from a workshop attended by county staff indicates the application process to increase the county’s IBT permit would take several years and cost up to $1 million. Plant expansion would also require approval of a higher permit from Progress Energy for withdrawals from Lake Tillery. And doubling plant capacity would take hundreds of thousands of dollars and extensive permitting and construction time.
“One of the rationales behind the additional sales to Moore County is that we can have them put money toward our capital needs and not put all the burden on our citizens,” explained Metzler. Any agreement with Moore County would require them to pay for improvements in the system needed to provide them with service, including their share of the cost for a new high service pump station, improvements to booster pumps and the Wadeville water tank, all items that would also improve service to county customers.
Following a recent meeting between Moore and Montgomery officials, a draft agreement has been drawn up and submitted to Moore County administration, but as of mid October, they had not responded and the draft is simply an exchange of information between the two county administrations and not elected officials.
“There are two or three items we need to look at,” stated Chairman Morris. “If Fibrowatt comes, and if we can work out sales to Moore County, we’re getting close to our IBT cap. We need to look at the Robbins numbers and negotiate that as well. It’s all related. We also need to make sure we can supply Fibrowatt if they come.
“Our first priority is people in the county. Out of county sales pay for things we need to support and improve our system. We have no agreements yet, but we will definitely have to put into our calculations all the ‘what if’s.’ We’ve got to acquire jobs; that’s our number one priority. And we’re going to have to have everybody’s head in the game to help us come up with these numbers.”
