Save Our sandhills
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Approved 1/29/09

SAVE OUR SANDHILLS (SOS)
RESOLUTION ON PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY AND PRIVATE WELLS

STATEMENT OF CONCERN
WHEREAS the U.S. Drought Monitor reported on June 19, 2008 that 97% of North Carolina was in a drought; and

WHEREAS conditions could get worse according to state climatologist Ryan Boyles because the state never recovered from its last drought; and

WHEREAS the cores of numerous trees sampled in this region, including one dating as far back as 1548, show that the southeastern Piedmont from Georgia through the Triad has averaged one to two extended droughts each century, each lasting four years or more; and

WHEREAS during  a work session of the Moore County Board of Commissioners, the special  government state efficiency committee chaired by Jim Westbrook stated that Moore County is at a crossroads in dealing with water needs that include quantity, quality, liability, and future growth; and

WHEREAS Moore County should strive for a self-sufficient water supply so that future generations will not be dependent on the goodwill of neighboring counties; and

WHEREAS in the Pinehurst area, where water is measured by domestic and irrigation water meters, the Department of Public Works estimates that over 50% of the demand is for irrigation purposes during a dry summer; and

WHEREAS the anticipated high density of irrigation wells in a major subdivision can provide overlapping cones of depression to significantly lower the groundwater in surrounding areas; and

WHEREAS McGill Associates Executive Summary Water Source Evaluation and Plan, County  of Moore, North Carolina, states that “the numerous private irrigation wells in the County are likely impacting the yield of public water supply wells”  and that groundwater reliability can be preserved  “only if local governments are willing and able to take aggressive actions to protect the source”; and

WHEREAS the groundwater aquifer in the Piedmont is quite shallow, and all shallow wells (i.e., less than 150 feet deep) withdraw from that aquifer; and

WHEREAS all  water users, regardless of source, ultimately draw water from the same interconnected and shrinking groundwater reservoir during an extended drought; and

WHEREAS irrigation wells don’t meet the standards of drinking wells, and in major subdivisions would be a conduit for pesticides and fertilizers from lawn runoff to pollute the groundwater; and

WHEREAS water authorities and other government agencies are obligated to provide for the welfare of their constituents despite the pressures of burgeoning building projects; and

WHEREAS  the original “Small Area ‘A’ Draft Plan” included the statement “Prohibit the use of private irrigation wells in major subdivisions and planned unit developments served by public water,”  and this language was softened  in the final version solely to facilitate approval of the overall plan;

SOS POSITION
NOW, THEREFORE,  BE IT RESOLVED that Save Our Sandhills (SOS) in a special meeting on January 29, 2009, strongly urges the Moore County Board of Commissioners, the Moore County Planning Board, and the Moore County Planning Department to set an example,  in order to protect our aquifer and not endanger existing well capacities both public and private,  by preparing an ordinance to prohibit individual wells (including irrigation wells) in any new major subdivision and planned unit development that is provided with public water; and

FURTHER  BE IT RESOLVED that Save Our Sandhills (SOS) strongly urges the North Carolina General Assembly to require all counties in the state to prohibit individual wells (including irrigation wells) in any new major subdivision and planned unit development that is provided with public water;  and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Save Our Sandhills (SOS) strongly urges the Moore County Board of Commissioners, the Moore County Planning Board, and the Moore County Planning Department to provide incentives to encourage the use of reclaimed water by golf courses and major irrigation users within the county in order to recharge and extend the life of the local groundwater aquifers; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Save Our Sandhills (SOS) strongly urges the North Carolina General Assembly to provide incentives for all counties and municipalities to encourage the use of reclaimed water by golf courses and major irrigation users in order to recharge and extend the life of the groundwater aquifers; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Save Our Sandhills (SOS) strongly urges the Moore County Board of Commissioners, the Moore County Planning Board, and the Moore County Planning Department to follow the lead of the state of California’s 2001 state water law and prepare an ordinance to require an adequate 20-year water supply as a condition for all future major subdivisions and to deny, to delay, and to challenge authorization for any building project that cannot find and identify long-term water supplies at 100% of future build out.

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Save Our Sandhills (SOS) strongly urges the North Carolina General Assembly to follow the lead of the state of California’s 2001 state water law that all counties require an adequate 20-year water supply as a condition for all future major subdivisions and to deny, to delay, and to challenge authorization for any building project that cannot find and identify long-term water supplies at 100% of future build out.

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