THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504270348
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COROLLA LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Currituck County may try to create a water and sewer district within a few Corolla communities, with a long-term water supply possibly coming from Currituck Sound.
The Board of Commissioners, in a work session Tuesday night, decided to investigate a new centralized system for Corolla Village, the Whalehead subdivision and a part of The Village at Ocean Hill.
``We decided to approach the business community and developers to determine if it's feasible to create a service district or a water district to tie those systems together,'' board Chairman Ernie Bowden said Wednesday.
The proposal was discussed during a three-hour meeting on water plans for Currituck's Outer Banks and mainland communities.
If the proposal were approved by voters, property owners within the district would pay a tax to fund water and wastewater-treatment plant operations.
Currently, only the Ocean Sands beach development has such a district, with landowners paying 31 cents for every $100 of assessed property to receive county water and sewer services. Currituck County's basic property tax rate is 56 cents.
All other Corolla communities are served by individual wells or private water systems.
Unable to find a long-term water source on the barrier island, the county is considering drilling below Currituck Sound.
``We feel that's the most reasonable place to locate these wells since we don't own any property at all in the Outer Banks community at this time,'' Bowden said.
Water would be drawn from below the surface and then treated at a reverse-osmosis plant, the chairman said.
The North River, once considered a possible long-term source of water, will not work, Bowden added, because of varied salinity levels and discolored water.
Currituck County officials for years have been searching for a sustained water source, particularly since development has accelerated in Corolla.
On the mainland, which also is experiencing a residential boom, two new shallow wells are being added to the existing six at a well site in Maple.
Bowden said two other test wells, up to 250 feet deep, will be drilled to see if other treatable water is available.
Expansion of the the Maple water system to the southern end of the county also was discussed, but no decision was made on when lines would be extended beyond Grandy.
Bowden said about 450 people have agreed to receive county water if the system is extended to Point Harbor.
These residents have yet to receive the county service, however, because Currituck officials ran out of money to finish the project several years ago. by CNB