by KRISTIN LARMORE
Intern News Reporter

Town of Boone officials are planning ahead with a proposal for a new water intake facility on the South Fork of the New River, included on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The proposal seeks to aid in community growth and university expansion, and because it involves a general obligation bond, the money needed to fund the project will come from tax revenues.

However, projected population increases indicate a great need for the facility.

By surpassing the 80 percent capacity mark in 2006, the water treatment plant is in need for a water expansion plan. Photo by James Fay

Maggie Tilley, president of G&T Communications said, “Studies show within the next 50 years the population of Boone [will] double.”
Therefore, the facility is not a question of need, but of funding.

Boone has taken many steps to conserve water and reduce waste, such as free water audits, civic group presentations, the Adopt-A-Stream program and two annual river cleanups.

“The town has worked hard on [a] water conservation program,” Tilley said. “That has helped.”

However, the new facility indicates conservation alone cannot fully address the town’s need for clean, usable water.

Boone Town Manager Greg Young said when a water system hits 80 percent of capacity; North Carolina recommends a water expansion plan.

When it reaches 90 percent capacity, new plans must be under construction or the state can impose a moratorium on water hookups.

In 2006, Boone passed the 80 percent mark and will reach 90 percent next year, according to the New River Project projection.

Appalachian State University’s water treatment plant operator, Don R. Lusk, said, “I think the Town of Boone needs the additional water source. During times of drought, [the water level] gets really low.”

Lusk said Appalachian is working on interconnections with the town to share water in a time of emergency.  

Though the university has its own water system, the town treats all waste from campus.

In response to questions of the facility’s effectiveness, Young said most of the water withdrawn goes back into the river. 

Due to Boone’s predicted population increase, the Town of Boone hopes to pass a bond providing an additional water treatment site to alleviate use of the current plant, above. The new site is projected to provide the town for the next 20 years. Photo by James Fay

Combined with the treated waste water from the university, he said about 99 percent of what the town withdraws from the New River is added back after treatment.

“The oxygen is better,” he said. “The turbidity, the clarity, is better. And that is better for aquatic life.”

Both Young and Tilley said water shortages will highly affect students.

They will prevent new businesses and franchises from coming to Boone and put a cap on student housing.

If there is not enough water to provide for more facilities, construction of off-campus housing will stop.

Based on university growth, the town is acting now.

Lusk said much of the action has stemmed from the town reaching 80 percent water capacity on busy football and leaf looker weekends.

Lusk said, “They [town officials] are being very smart about it because they are looking down the road.”

In order to accommodate the growth of businesses, Tilley said Boone will become a more dense community.

Multi-story buildings, though unusual in the past, will become the standard.

“Boone is going to grow literally up,” she said.

If the bond passes, it is unlikely Boone will need to address water concerns for a while.

Young said the site is projected to carry the town through the next 20 years.

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