THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 20, 1996 TAG: 9606200006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 72 lines
An engineering study released by Norfolk says the city could safely produce during a worst-case drought up to 97.5 million gallons of water daily from surface and underground sources - up to 18.5 million gallons more than the yield previously considered safe. That does not cancel South Hampton Roads' need for water from Lake Gaston.
Release of the study triggered explosive emotions at Virginia Beach City Hall, where officials fear that North Carolina and Roanoke River Basin localities could use its conclusions to delay further the Beach's acquisition of water from Gaston, and they could. The lake straddles the North Carolina-Virginia line 100 miles west of the Oceanfront.
Those objecting to the Beach's quest say South Hampton Roads already has enough water to meet its needs indefinitely. They are wrong. Even if Norfolk - after heavy investment in technology - could supply 97 million gallons of drinkable water daily, producing that much might be neither environmentally desirable nor politically possible. The new study does not address the multiple environmental and political issues that would be posed if, say, Norfolk were to try to treat millions of gallons of well water daily to boost production. Norfolk now pumps well water when needed to maintain adequate reservoir levels.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concluded in 1984 that the Norfolk water system - which includes pumps on the Nottoway and Blackwater rivers, nine reservoirs and four deep wells - theoretically could safely yield in a worst-case drought 92 million gallons per day (5.5 million gallons less than the new study calculates). But the Corps elected to use a conservative safe-yield number of 81 gallons per day for planning purposes.
The Corps of Engineers identified Lake Gaston as the answer to South Hampton Roads' water requirements to the year 2030. Its 1984 study was used by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which granted the Beach permission to withdraw up to 60 million gallons daily from the lake.
Virginia Beach City Hall surely is right when it says the new study provides ammunition to the litigants still in court trying to stop the resort city from siphoning Gaston for its own benefit and Chesapeake's. Opponents argue that more water could be coaxed from the Norfolk system.
Beach officials fear that FERC might limit the city's draw to 40 million or 45 million gallons daily and require Norfolk water to be used before lake water - a stipulation that would hurt the Beach and benefit Norfolk.
Virginia Beach City Hall is angry that Norfolk released the new study - in response to a demand from The Virginian-Pilot - just as the resort city nears the goal of ending its historic dependence upon the old seaport city's water.
And the Beach is angered by Norfolk's withholding of backup data used for the study. Beach officials conjecture that Norfolk released the study last weekend to further prolong the wrangling through the courts that has impeded the Lake Gaston project, initiated 14 years ago, and so further prolong reliance by the Beach upon the average 32 million gallons of water a day that it buys from Norfolk.
But Norfolk proclaims its commitment to the success of the Lake Gaston project, which it says it ``presumes'' is a done deal. Norfolk and the Beach together are investing $100 million to expand and upgrade Norfolk's Moores Bridges plant to purify Gaston water.
The Beach contracted with Norfolk for treatment of the lake water, which will be transported through a 76-mile pipeline, now being built, to the head waters of Norfolk's Lake Prince reservoir. That makes the cities partners in the Lake Gaston enterprise. Although feeling at the Beach is running high, this is a moment for cool heads and measured words.
Both Norfolk and Virginia Beach contend that the new study confirms need for Gaston water, and it does. Yes, the study indicates that Norfolk today could safely provide 2 million gallons more water daily than the city had thought. But increasing production by as much as the study says Norfolk could increase it in time would not diminish the necessity for access to Gaston.
Release of the study has created a crisis between Norfolk and the Beach. It may also have created an opportunity for discussions that could speed progress to Lake Gaston. Or so we dare to hope. by CNB