THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508040499
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COROLLA LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
The Dare County Board of Commissioners may take the first step toward selling water to Currituck County at its Monday meeting.
Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. said Thursday that he will ask the full board to authorize negotiations to sell 160,000 gallons of water to two northern barrier island beach communities over the next two years.
If the board authorizes such negotiations, the final agreement would have to be approved by the full board at a later date, once specifics are worked out.
The water sale would impact two Currituck subdivisions: the Currituck Club and Pine Island.
``I think we have an obligation to help our neighbors,'' said Owens, following a meeting of committee officials from Dare and Currituck counties. Dare Commissioners Clarence Skinner and Doug Langford also attended Thursday's Corolla-based meeting, as did Currituck Board of Commissioners Chairman Ernie Bowden.
Owens was quick to point out, however, that the needs of Dare County residents would be met before any water was sold to Currituck County. Earlier this summer, Duck property owners asked county officials to meet a longstanding promise and provide water service to their upscale northern Dare County community.
``We're going to take care of our people first,'' Owens said. ``We're moving ahead right now with Duck, and it doesn't matter if its Manns Harbor or whoever, we have a responsibility to our citizens.''
Langford said he would not be in favor of selling water to Currituck unless the same tap and impact fees charged to new customers in Dare County also applied to Currituck residents.
Under the current fee structure, new Dare County customers must pay a $300 tap fee and a $2,500 impact fee.
``Every spigot that is turned on (in Currituck County) should mean an impact fee and a tap fee, just as it is for our customers in Dare County,'' Langford said. ``I'm adamant about that.''
According to current discussions, water also would be sold to Currituck customers at the current retail rate. Dare County charges $17 for the first 3,000 gallons and $4.50 for every additional 1,000 gallons.
Officials estimated that selling Currituck water could add an additional $2.5 million to the Dare County water system's coffers.
``I think it's important to note that this is not going to cost Dare County anything,'' Skinner said. ``Also, we could sell this water from our current capacity without hurting our system.''
Owens said he is well aware that the water sale proposal will have its critics.
``We're going to have people who are going to ask, `Why are you selling our water?' '' Owens said. ``But it's not our water. It's actually God's water. I don't see anything wrong with helping our neighbors.
``We're going to have to convince our people that this is a win-win situation for the people of both counties,'' Owens said. ``We have to make sure this is a profitable and workable situation. This is no different than the situation that existed for years between Norfolk and Virginia Beach.''
The proposal also would face political hurdles in Currituck County. Some county subdivisions, including Pine Island, have their own water systems, and pay less for water than Dare County currently charges. The Pine Island system has 93 customers who pay $2.30 per 1,000 gallons of water, said Bill Hollins of Turnpike Properties, developers of the residential community.
Also, residents on the thirsty Currituck mainland - where people are searching for their own new water source - may oppose the plan to provide water to the beach communities. However, Bowden said the time is now for a regional approach to common problems faced by northeastern North Carolina counties.
``Sooner or later, we're going to have to go to a real regional concept,'' Bowden said. ``I've been a strong advocate of regionalism since I came on the board in 1976. I believe we could solve a lot of our common problems if we would take that approach. (Water) is one of those.''
Owens said selling water could provide a ``Band-Aid'' for Currituck's water problems until agreement is reached in the Lake Gaston dispute.
``The Lake Gaston situation is going to be settled. And, hopefully, that pipeline will go right through Currituck County,'' said Owens, who serves as North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt's regional representative in the northeastern part of the state.
``Selling water will help both of us in the short term, until the agreement is reached,'' Owens said.
If the two counties approve the sale agreement, water could be on line to Currituck by next summer.
The Dare county Board of Commissioners meets at 9 a.m. Monday in their Manteo meeting room. by CNB