THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602210411
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RODANTHE LENGTH: Long : 113 lines
Central water is on the way to three villages on Hatteras Island.
Operators at the new Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Reverse-Osmosis plant plan to begin producing water at the northern Hatteras Island facility today.
By the end of April, county-made water will be pouring from the pipes of 821 homes and businesses in those communities.
``We'd hoped to get 500 customers initially. Instead, we got 96 percent of the people who own buildings and houses here to sign onto the system already,'' Dare County Water Director Bob Oreskovich said Tuesday. ``Other than one campground and about 20 houses, everyone has hooked on.''
``The county commissioners didn't impose mandatory hookups. But we still got an incredible response from the citizens,'' said Oreskovich. ``This is truly a success story for our new water production plant.''
Besides existing residents and business owners, half of all property owners in Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo have said they want to be part of the new reverse-osmosis system once they build on their still-undeveloped lots. At least 1,474 people had paid the initial $300 connection fee as of Monday. Workers will begin installing water meter boxes March 11.
``Right now, we've got disinfected well water in the main lines. Our first bacteriological tests on those samples passed last week,'' Oreskovich said from the freshly painted Rodanthe water production plant on the east side of N.C. 12. ``In the next two weeks, we'll perform tests on 89 sites throughout our 22 miles of pipes. We'll put all the filters in the plant Wednesday.
``And, hopefully, by the end of March, all our customers will be connected to the system.''
The northern three villages of Hatteras Island have never had a centralized water system. Homes and businesses draw their water from private wells. The quality of well water varies considerably between properties.
In November 1989, county commissioners began studying ways to bring a reverse-osmosis water production plant to Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo. Reverse-osmosis plants purify underground water drawn from deep wells by removing 99 percent of the salt, minerals and other contaminants. Every drop of water runs through 104 membranes - more than 37,440 square feet of filters - before it flows from any faucets.
Ocracoke Island officials installed the state's first reverse-osmosis plant in 1976. Kill Devil Hills got one in 1989. A third, much smaller, plant operates in Corolla.
The new Hatteras Island system will draw its water from wells sunk 285 to 360 feet into the ground. Eleven county employees will man the new 6,400-square-foot water production facility seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. After hours, workers at the Kill Devil Hills reverse-osmosis plant willmonitor the Rodanthe system via computer - and Oreskovich can even control some functions from his home.
With 168 sets of filters, the new Rodanthe plant can produce 700 gallons of water a minute, up to 1 million gallons a day. This summer, Oreskovich estimated, customers will need a maximum of 350,000 gallons daily. The system can eventually be expanded to make double its current capacity.
``We know this plant will at least be in good condition to serve the area's needs until 2030,'' said Oreskovich. ``It's a state-of-the-art plant - the best system we can put in the ground today.''
The system was projected to cost $6.65 million. Oreskovich said contractors are coming in about $200,000 under budget. And operations are right on schedule.
In case of power outages, the Rodanthe plant is linked to a 400-kilowatt generator that will run everything from the well pumps to the distribution system and even office lights and telephones. Because the water it draws comes from such deep wells, flooding will not interfere with the plant's abilities to produce drinkable water. After Hurricane Emily in 1989, more than 400 northern Hatteras Island residents went without safe drinking water for almost a week.
``The constant fear of ocean or sound overwash contaminating the water supply will now be laid to rest,'' Oreskovich said. ``The people of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo will have the best quality water available - regardless or flooding or loss of power.''
Water impact fees, connection costs and deposits for the new Hatteras Island system total $2,942 for most homes. Every property owner who can be hooked up to the system also will be charged a $1,500 assessment - which can be paid over seven years. Water rates will average $51 per quarter for 9,000 gallons.
Residents and business owners are responsible for running lines from their homes and offices to the new county pipes. Customers also have to pay a $102 deposit by March 1 or they can't be connected during the initial installation process. Deposits can either be mailed or made in person at the new Rodanthe water production plant offices.
``I think that new plant is going to help us a whole lot,'' said Dare County Commissioner Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett, who owns a Rodanthe grocery, gasoline and service station and lives in that northern Hatteras village. ``I've linked everything I got to the system. My well water here at this house stinks.
``I figured the majority of the people down here'd want central water,'' Midgett said. ``It'll be a hell of a lot better to finally have good water.'' MEMO: WATER PRODUCTION PLANT
The new Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo water production plant is scheduled to
begin making water today and start pumping it through homeowners' pipes
by late April. Before then, residents need to have pipes installed from
their homes to the recently installed county water lines that run along
village streets. Workers are scheduled to start installing meters March
11.
Meters will not be installed until the property owner has sent a $102
deposit to the county, or dropped it off at the new water plant offices
on the east side of N.C. 12 in Rodanthe. For more information, call the
new reverse-osmosis plant offices, 987-1111.
ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Brian Powers, left, of FilmTec, and Cliff Gilbert of Dow Chemical
insert a membrane in a reverse-osmosis unit at the
Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo water plant Tuesday. The plant begins
production today.
by CNB