by AUDRI HAMM
Intern News Reporter

A $25 million water bond referendum was passed Nov. 4 with 73 percent of Boone voters for the measure.

The bond will pay for a new water intake facility on the South Fork of the New River.

Rick L. Miller, director of the Boone Public Utilities Department said the $25 million would not be paid for by tax revenue, but instead, through water and sewer rates.

The new facility is predicted to fulfill Boone’s water needs for the next 20 to 30 years.

A new water intake facility, approved by Boone voters during the Nov. 4 election, will be located on the South Fork of the New River. Photo by James Fay

“The facility should increase our water intake to seven million gallons a day,” Miller said.

He said it took Boone two years to decide on the New River site, and barring any delays, he hopes the new facility will be complete in five years.

“If everything goes ‘Grade A’ perfect, it should be on line in five years,” Miller said.

He said the conjoining of Boone’s water system and the water system of Appalachian State University could also provide short-term emergency relief.

“ASU is not the long-term fix for the Town of Boone,” Miller said. “They need what water they have for campus expansion.”

Boone’s water system is currently running at 80 percent capacity, and the Public Utilities Department is focusing on water conservation efforts to keep from reaching 90 percent capacity.

“When we reach 90 percent [capacity], there is a moratorium on new water hookups,” Miller said.

Conservation programs include a downloadable water conservation audit form from the Public Utilities’ Web site.

“If you live in the town limits and fill out the audit form, you might be able to get a free water conservation kit,” Water Conservation Program Coordinator Andrea C. Gimlin said.

The kits include a low-flow showerhead, faucet aerators, leak detection tablets and a toilet displacement bag.

Gimlin said the biggest obstacle to water conservation in Boone is students usually do not pay their water bill because the bill is often included within their rent.

If students do not see the water bill, they often do not realize how much water they use.

“We want students to look at water conservation from an environmental standpoint,” Gimlin said. “It’s about doing the right thing.”

She encourages students to come to the Public Utilities Department if they have any questions about water conservation, and said students often do not realize how little things like leaky toilets can waste a lot of water.

“A leaky toilet can waste more than 500 gallons of water a month,” Gimlin said. “We are one of the only countries in the world that flushes their toilets with drinkable water.”

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