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©2001-2005 The Chatham News Publishing Co., Inc. - All Rights Reserved

By Randall Rigsbee

As a steady rain continued to fall Tuesday morning, bringing Chatham County a much-needed reprieve from drought, county utility officials said the precipitation was helpful but not yet enough to lift mandatory water restrictions.

Will Baker, director of the Chatham County utility department, said in an interview Tuesday morning that Jordan Lake, the county’s primary source of water, remains low.

 “It’s a wait and see situation right now,” he said.

But baring a lot more rain, he said, the county’s mandatory water conservation measures will remain in place, he said.

“We’re still down about four feet at the lake,” Baker said.

“At the most,” he said, “we might consider going back to voluntary restrictions. But we’re going to hold off on that for now.”

County water customers were asked to voluntarily cut water use in September and more stringent mandatory restrictions were implemented a short time later.

  more- See Thursday, Dec 1 paper: Vol 85, No. 1

Out-of-county students face fee

By Bob Wachs

Students from the Bennett area who live in Randolph County and attend Bennett School will be allowed to continue classes there but not without charge.

How much that charge, in the form of tuition, will be remains to be seen, although some board of education members say they favor an amount less than the approximately $2500 initially proposed.

“I could live with $500,” board vice chairman Ron Collins said at the board’s Monday night meeting.

In addition, as part of the policy adopted Monday night by the board, those students may remain enrolled at the school as long as the school is not over its rated student capacity. And as a further condition approved by the board, once a student completes Bennett School, he or she may move on to Chatham Central but at the full tuition rate and provided there is room for the student.

Board members agreed to discuss both the reduced rate and full rate at their Dec. 12 meeting. Also slated to be discussed then is how to deal with student siblings who have not yet enrolled at Bennett. Board chairman Alan Zimmerman said if only students currently enrolled at Bennett were allowed to remain in Chatham County schools that he could foresee a problem if families were divided between two county systems. “What would parents do,” he asked, “if one system was closed and one was open during bad weather?”

more- See Thursday, Dec 1 paper: Vol 85, No. 1

Rainfall enables Siler City to lift mandatory rules

By Joseph Pardington

Mayor Charles Turner lifted Siler City’s mandatory water conservation measures Nov. 23 but asked Siler City residents to maintain voluntary conservation measures until the reservoir reaches its normal elevation.

As of Monday, Nov. 28, the reservoir was down 6 feet 11 inches.

“That’s a pretty good gain from where we were,” said Joel Brower, Siler City’s town manager.

Mandatory conservation kicks in at nine feet low. A water shortage warning remains in effect until the Rocky River Reservoir reaches it normal level.

A recent rainfall and pumping from other sources made a big difference in the water situation, Turner said.

“That rain came right in at the right time and the right place,” Turner said.

Siler City received 2.7 inches of rain, Brower said. In addition the town pumped in water from Dodson Lake, and a few industries hauled water to the reservoir from other water supplies, Brower said.

“The rain was the greatest help,” Brower said. He also credited conservation efforts by residents and businesses alike.

Siler City began mandatory water conservation Nov. 7, with a goal of 20 percent reduction in consumption. According to the most recent figures, Siler City reduced consumption by 16 percent, Brower said.

Despite the recent rainfall, Brower looked forward to more.

“We need to continue to pray for more rain,” he said.

Under voluntary conservation measures, consumers are asked to avoid watering their lawns, gardens and shrubbery, and to avoid washing their automobiles, sidewalks, patios and driveways. Consumers also are asked to limit showers to four minutes.

Meanwhile, Chatham County remains under mandatory water conservation.

 The recent rains were helpful, but it is too early to lift the restrictions, said Will Baker Chatham County’s public works director.

“This is what we needed, some good, whole-day soaking of rain,” Baker said. “We’re hoping it continues.”

Parts of the Deep River will flow freely once the Carbonton Dam removal project is completed on January. The project is funded by Siler City and the state of North Carolina, among others. The dam removal will lessen the environmental impact o f Siler City's Lower Rocky River Expansion.

Carbonton dam work on schedule

By Joseph Pardington

The Carbonton Dam removal is underway, said George Howard of Restoration Systems of Raleigh and Greensboro.

The removal project, which will allow the Deep River to flow freely again, straddles Lee and Moore counties.

The dam removal will have several environmental benefits that will offset Siler City’s Lower Rocky River Expansion Project.

For example, certain species of fish and mussels will be rejoined for the first time since 1921, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Website.

“Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission say the dam’s removal will benefit aquatic wildlife by re-opening more than 10 miles of river to a number of fish and mussel species that depend on free-flowing water to survive,” said a press release by the North Carolina Wild Life Resources Commission.

The removal began in November and so far is on track.

“The removal is well underway,” Howard said of the stream mitigation project that Siler City bought into in response to its own reservoir expansion project. “We’re slightly ahead of schedule.”

So far, five of the 15 sections, or about one third of the spillway, have been removed, Howard said. “Most of the work within the river will wrap up in the middle of January.”

  more- See Thursday, Dec 1 paper: Vol 85, No. 1

The Chatham News

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