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summerfieldrd Banned
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Can anyone tell me why our TC cannot supply us with this most basic of necessities? Plan for all the things you want, but if you can't get water to it, it is worthless. This town will go no where until this very basic issue is resolved. Is this to much to ask? Can anyone give me a viable answer as to why this hurdle hasn't been cleared? |
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S. Smith Moderator
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summerfieldrd, Oak Ridge has handled this problem by contracting with a private company to provide water. Once the lines are run, existing homes and businesses can connect if they want to. Only new development is absolutely required to hook on. Although the town will give up some control and admittedly the water will be handled by a private company, who is in business to make money, they felt this was the best way to deal with the situation. It would cost around $15 million to develop their own water system. Now Aqua N.C. will bear that cost. They will also pick up all the customers they already have in housing developments who have community water systems and are already served by Aqua N.C. Summerfield was originally in on talks to also get water in the same manner. What do you think of this solution? |
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summerfieldrd Banned
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I hate to say it, but it "sounds" like maybe I should be living in Oak Ridge! Personally, it seems to me like a "no-brainer", given the two options you have outlined. I can have sympathy with the fact that sometimes mistakes will be made, but I believe a lack of decision is worse than a mistake made by no decision. This isn't rocket science, it's water. We need it. We should have already had it. Do you think we should have our TC go to Oak Ridge's TC meetings to take notes and see how things get done? Right or wrong, decisions must be made. Now that I think of it.... Rockingham County just put in a big water tower just north of the intersection of 68 and 220. Couldn't we contract to get a pipe from that tower? What about G'boro? Would they be willing to jump into the water business? I think we should take EVERYTHING off TC's plate and give them this one very simple issue to resolve. |
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Waytago Member 
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summerfieldrd wrote: I think we should take EVERYTHING off TC's plate and give them this one very simple issue to resolve. You are entitled to your opinion, but I think you'll find alot of folks don't necessarily share your opinion around here. I don't. I have a well, and septic which serves my family adequately, and don't feel inclined to share the tax burden and/or monthly bills that come with a municipal water supply. If my well has a problem it's mine to fix, nobody elses. You are probably correct, if you want water provided to you, you're living in the wrong place. |
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rasin Guest
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The approach OR is taking you can hook up or not if you are currently on a well, entirely up to you. Only new developments within a certain distance of a water line would have to hookup. Since Aqua is running the show there are no direct tax implications, though I believe Aqua will be paying some sort of tax to OR so that OR can extend connections to areas that Aqua may feel are not profitable. Beyond that all infrastructure will be built by Aqua. I think the reasons to get municipal water outweigh the reasons not to. 1. Fire safety, as we build more developments, the existing ponds might not be enough to support the fire department. And during droughts some of these dry up 2. During power outages people with wells are out of luck unless you have a generator. Down side of generators are they add pollution to the air and if things are really bad you might not be able to get gas to power them if storm or outages last long enough. While based on some people only rich people live in OR, not all people can afford the cost. And finally given that many generators are not hooked up properly they present a safety hazard to anyone working on the power lines and the idiots that seem to think having them inside is OK! 3. Several areas of OR have poor water quality or low volume 4. During a drought Aqua can draw on wells and when the drought is over they can draw from surface water from Rockingham County. 5. For people that stay on wells Aqua will in affect be bringing in water to OR when it uses Surface water and when it gets flushed out into the septic fields it will help recharge the ground water. 6. Aqua was going to hookup parts of the town anyway. As a public utility they can pretty much come to any town they want and run water to people. OR got out in front and at least had some say in what happened. If they wanted to Aqua could come to Summerfield, they don't need permission. |
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Cracker Jax Member 
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Waytago wrote: If my well has a problem it's mine to fix, nobody elses. And just how are you going to "fix it" if your well runs dry? How many cows can sip from one pond before that pond starts drying up? I've enjoyed well water all of my life, but to me it just stands to reason that the more our area develops, the more likely it is that our water supply is in danger. I don't think anyone wants municipal water, the bills or the headaches that go along with it, (I know I sure don't) but couldn't we look at the options available? I'd at least like for our town council members to research the options. They are charged with looking toward our future and I think that will be our future. AND....If you think that Greensboro is gonna swoop in and save you by sharing/selling their water to ya, think again......It's NOT going to happen. Unless of course you're willing to give up our charter and be annexed by them. Either way, eventually, you're gonna probably have those bills and taxes.... Why not have a say so as to where you're money's going? |
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mstone Member
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You're right, Waytago. Everybody that's currently on well water should hope that someone comes in (Aqua as an example) and provides water as the towns expand. I'm on a well and keep wondering what happens if the water table gets sucked up by development. Fortunately, OR saw the benefits and went forward with Aqua. This should help sustain the natural water resources in our town. And as rasin pointed out, with Aqua running the show there's no tax implications and no need for a town municiple water department (read that more TAXES!). |
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summerfieldrd Banned
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Waytago wrote: summerfieldrd wrote: I think we should take EVERYTHING off TC's plate and give them this one very simple issue to resolve.
Case in point: After my well recently became contaminated, I paid MEGA bucks to have a professional plumber come in here and tell me that some hack job moron had violated every health code known to man when he connected my well. Guess what? My well was contaminated. Guess what else? You're on the same water table I am. Chances are it contaminated your water, too. How often do you test your family's water source? Do you know how many people access their well without shocking it properly? Guess what else? Chances are you're on the same water table as them, as well. I know you like to think you have your own little private aquifer, but this is reality. Now how many penny pinchers do you think are out there giving jobs to the lowest bidder to fix their well? Without pulling the proper permits. Also, have you ever studied Microbiology? Do you know there is a whole universe out there that cannot be seen with the naked eye? Yes, human feces is full of E.coli, bacteria, etc. Do you know how many outdated septic tanks are probably contaminating your well? Let's face it, this area is going to expand. We have two major interstates coming and a fed ex hub that is about to explode. Every well that gets sunk only adds to the possibility of contamination. After all, you're only as healthy as the water you drink. Also, you say you don't want to incur the fees? Oak Ridge isn't making their citizens connect, just the new people, as opposed to having them punch more wells and risk the possibility of contamination. Don't believe me? Take a look at India? Ask them about their water problems. (Comment edited out by SMS). The ONLY constant in the universe is change. Learn to accept it. Last edited on Jan 3rd, 2007 09:00 am by summerfieldrd |
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summerfieldrd Banned
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Last edited on Jan 3rd, 2007 09:02 am by summerfieldrd |
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Jim Flynt Member
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summerfieldrd wrote: Case in point: After my well recently became contaminated, I paid MEGA bucks to have a professional plumber come in here and tell me that some hack job moron had violated every health code known to man when he connected my well. Guess what? My well was contaminated. Your post begs several questions: (1) How was your well contaminated? (2) What is the nature of the contamination? (3) Is the contamination remedial? (4) Who hired the hack job moron to connect your well? (5) How did the hack job moron contaminate your well? (6) Have you brought your contaminated well to the attention of the Guilford County Board of Health or to State public health officials? If not, why not? |
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summerfieldrd Banned
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Jim Flynt wrote:
Hi Jim: I should point out that the hack job was done BEFORE I purchased the house. When the well was extended above ground, the "hacker" didn't follow proper health department protocol, therefore, not properly sealing so as not to contaminate with surface water runoff and all the wonderful fertilizers, etc. that go along with such contamination. Yes, it was brought to the attention of the Guilford Health Department. And yes, it seems as though they do not alert others in the area that their well may have been compromised. Has for the contamination.....should I ever get all the mud pumped out, I'll be certain to conduct a full investigation into the compromising particulates. FYI: My neighbor had to have their well completely redrilled, only to find that even their new well was at the threshold level considered pathogenic for E.coli comtamination (yes, faulty septics) and should never be drank.....And that was with a brand new well. I've had another neighbor complain of cloudy water during heavy rains, but they were "used to it." Guess what folks? That is contamination of the water table yet again. I think as more people test their well, they will find an undesirable amount of contamination that I wouldn't want rejuvinating my body. Also, I've heard rumors there is a considerable amount of contamination in some of the SF town core well systems. Can anyone elaborate on that issue? As for my issue, don't worry. Mine is being closely monitored by the GHD. I am VERY cautious about what I introduce into my body. I recommend others remain just as vigilant. With the constant punching of new wells in our area, we really have no choice. Last edited on Jan 3rd, 2007 09:04 am by summerfieldrd |
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bama80 Member 
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off topic but I can't resist. In Stokesdale, I get my water via ancient aqueducts that run hundreds of miles to my house. haha notice the play on words using VIA- for you smarties out there. |
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Jim Flynt Member
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bama80 wrote: haha notice the play on words using VIA- for you smarties out there. Maybe we need to send Bob VILA over next time you need a plumber? |
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DOGGETTJA Member 
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Here's what I know about water and Summerfield. There is contamination in the core of Summerfield that is closely monitored so I understand by either the county or state. There is a pool of petrolieum products underground that could potentilally contaminate the wells. Not sure where the came from but the pool is shifting so those people have to be concerned about their water quality. There is a map at Town Hall that shows all the contaminated areas in Summerfield and there are a lot. Summerfield at one point was considering the same sort of contract with Aqua such as Oakridge has . The issue is that Aqua is going to connect all their developments in the area and to my knowledge they provide all the water that is provided in Summerfield. When and as they connect those developments they will pass in front of miles of Summerfiled people. They will offer all of these people the oportunity to connect which means several things. First all of the easy to get to areas will have potential water provided by Aqua America so if your well is contaminated and you live off the easy access areas you will not have a lot of options. Secondly the Town if no agreement with Aqua is reached will then have to go down the same streets, dig up the same yards and run their own water lines which really doesn't seem very cost effective or they sign some sort of agreement with Aqua that quarantees all people in the area the potential of water if they need it. The pluses to the agreement with Aqua is no water department for Summerfield, No expenses. The negative is loss of control of the system and potential income but the Town would not have to force people to sign on in order to be able to afford the upkeep. That is a big issue in Stokesdale right now I think. They have an expensive system with relatively few customers. Also a large percentage of people in Summerfiled would not be on the Summerfield water system because they are the developments that Aqua provides water to. This wate issue has had a lot of research put into it but has been put aside for what ever reasons. I think the Town should revive the issue and decide what is the best alternative for our town and lock it in. Aqua America is going to do what they are going to do with or with out Summerfield's input. The Town is who will lose with out a plan. |
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