DATE: Friday, August 1, 1997                TAG: 9708010731

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: KILL DEVIL HILLS                  LENGTH:   86 lines

KILL DEVIL HILLS PUTS BRAKES ON PLAN TO SELL WATER TO CURRITUCK

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners has decided to delay action on an amendment that would allow the emergency sale of water to the Currituck Outer Banks.

Dare County and Carolina Water Service earlier this month agreed on a mutual aid agreement for emergency water sales. However, under a 40-year tri-party agreement between Dare County, Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills approved last year, the sale to Currituck cannot go through without approval of the municipalities. If one town rejects the deal, it fails.

The Kill Devil Hills panel voted Wednesday night to table the amendment. Mayor Duncan Wright - the town's representative in last year's water negotiations - was sick and did not attend the meeting.

``Right now, I'm just trying to listen and gain more information,'' Commissioner Jeff Shields said. ``I think we need to take inventory and take a look at this. But our first priority is to the people of Kill Devil Hills.''

The amendment would set aside a portion of the 1996 three-way water agreement that prohibits sale of water outside the county unless scientific surveys reveal ample water from existing or future sources of water.

However, Dare County Commissioner Doug Langford said the sale would only take place in emergency situations - ``fires, water line breaks, tornadoes, hurricanes and other such anticipated short-term events.''

County water authorities are looking into the possibility of a countywide hydrogeologic survey. However, the possible survey and the amendment are not connected, Langford said. He also said that the Currituck deal is not a precursor to regular water sales to Currituck County.

``We couldn't do it without a full hydrogeologic study,'' Langford said.

``But my responsibility is to Dare County citizens. There is no way we will enter into an agreement without being absolutely sure we have an ample supply of water.''

But Dare County Commissioner Cheryl Byrd expressed misgivings about the proposed amendment. She contended that under the definitions of an emergency, the semi-dry conditions of summer would constitute an emergency.

She also claimed the amendment violated the tri-party agreement.

Also, she questioned the ability of Carolina Water Service to provide water to Dare County in an emergency.

``There is no documented capacity of Carolina Water Service to reciprocate,'' she said. ``We do not know their ability to provide water in millions of gallons per day, nor do we know exactly how many very large homes they now serve or could possibly serve in the future.''

She also questioned Langford's contention that the deal was not a first step toward regular water sales to the Currituck Outer Banks.

``This proposal for `Emergency Water' is clearly just a means for selling water to the Currituck Outer Banks,'' she said.

``The wording of clauses describing emergency in the proposal, together with the room full of developers and real estate company personnel from Corolla at our July 7 board meeting, are clear evidence of that.''

The Currituck proposal gambles with Dare County's liquid resource, Byrd said.

``I certainly don't mind being a good neighbor,'' Byrd said. ``But as elected officials, our first priority is to our own citizens. If we find that we have the capability of safely providing more water than we'll ever need in the future, then by all means we should make some of it available to areas that are not so lucky. Right now, I feel like we're playing Russian roulette with our water resources.''

Langford responded by saying that drought is not listed in the emergency definitions. Also, he acknowledged that Carolina Water's ability to reciprocate was limited.

``Carolina Water Service has very little excess capacity,'' Langford said.

``I'm not going to kid anyone on this board or in this audience that there will be equal water flowing south as there will be flowing north.''

The five-member Kill Devil Hills board will likely address the situation again next month.

In other business:

Dare County Board of Education Member Donna Buxton expressed thanks to the board for its willingness to discuss a possible expansion of land available to the school district near the Baum Tract. The two boards are likely to meet soon to discuss enlarging the site. The parcel has been targeted as the site for a new high school on the beach.

The board of commissioners authorized the sale of surplus municipal property.

Richard Baer was reappointed vice chairman of the town's Board of Adjustment.

Kill Devil Hills approved a resolution supporting Manteo's efforts to get state help to build a visitors' center on Roanoke Island.

The board met in closed session to discuss legal matters. No action was taken.

And finally, August was declared ``Safe Boating Month'' in Kill Devil Hills.

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