Water: More Than a Gesture Needed From County

From The Pilot

By Carl Ramey - Sunday, August 15, 2010

Previously on this page, I reviewed Moore County's recent performance in dealing with other local governments on regional water issues.
As bad as that short-term performance has been, even worse has been the county's long-term stewardship of the water systems serving Pine-hurst and Seven Lakes. And the Board of Com-missioners' recent promise to return to the Summit's Water Task Force meetings, while helpful, doesn't erase that record.
Moore County got into the water business by buying the Seven Lakes system in 1990 and the Pinehurst system two years later. Ever since, citizens of Pinehurst and Seven Lakes have been totally dependent upon a county board (where they are either unrepresented or just "underrepresented") and a Public Utilities Department (MCPU) which is exempt from regulation by the N.C. Utilities Commission.
Although county officials like to pretend that they operate a countywide, regional water system, the reality is something different. Indeed, after two decades in the business, Moore County's water world still revolves around highly centralized operations in Pinehurst and Seven Lakes - where 95 percent of its customers reside and almost all of their rate-payer revenues are derived.
Being a good steward goes beyond supplying running water. It requires a comprehensive plan that both maintains the present and anticipates the future.
Stripped to essentials, the county's current water "plan" looks something like this: Do repairs and upgrades only as needed, reject or sidestep any effort to acquire surface water, resist joining with others to form any kind of regional entity to address pending and future needs, and, finally, continue to buy water from others (increasingly, those outside Moore County). This is not a plan, merely an exercise in short-term expediency.
To their credit, county officials did sit down with village officials on July 8 in a joint discussion of pending projects -- a productive counterpoint to a yearlong series of dust-ups and lingering misunderstandings.
However, other than improved atmospherics, the only real substance coming out of this session was that, after years of delay, (1) construction of desperately needed replacement lift stations at Lake Pinehurst is well under way; (2) construction of a badly needed elevated tank to replace two antiquated ones is near completion; and (3) one new ground well will come on line, and another out-of-service well will be restored to service, late this year, followed by an additional well sometime in 2012.
As to long-discussed, badly needed water and sewer repairs in Old Town, these appear, at best, stuck in the "modeling" or "design" stage.
While a good steward would never have allowed such vital assets in its core operating area to deteriorate to such an extent, other examples abound:
- The county long resisted or downplayed suggestions to test the fire flow pressure of hydrants and key distribution lines in Pinehurst - vital to saving lives and property. Only recently has it partially relented, by beginning a limited testing regimen.
- Instead of working with the village to achieve compliance with building codes for above-ground construction projects, the county, at least initially, challenged the village's jurisdiction.
- Instead of investigating and acting upon recommendations in the McGill Study concerning surface water at Wagram and Robbins, the county downplayed the former and kissed off the latter.
- Instead of pursuing surface water supplies, the county relentlessly relies on a declining number of ground wells in and around Pinehurst - even as the population in Pinehurst and surrounding areas continues to grow, and the pumping of those wells sometimes exceeds the recommended daily average.
Despite this checkered history, the county's only long-term goal is to continue stockpiling water purchase contracts. For the moment, buying water from others is cheaper than investing in new sources that the county might own. But this "cheaper is better" strategy is both risky and short-sighted.
It's risky because such purchases can quickly go bad when outside sources experience severe drought, a dramatic change in their own needs, or a change in politics. It's short-sighted because it pushes hard decisions down the road to others, and to a time in the future when acquiring such assets will likely be far more complicated and costly (if they are even available).
Finally, the county's go-it-alone, short-term strategy flies in the face of evolving regulatory and environmental trends. Its rejection of a regional approach is a bad deal, not only for Pinehurst and Seven Lakes, but for all communities of Moore County.
Carl R. Ramey, a former Washington communications attorney, lives in Pinehurst.