It all comes down to the
lake.
The Jordan Lake
watershed stretches from Greensboro east to Durham and Apex. It is home to
nearly a million people, with more arriving every day. Each year, the lake
receives over 12 million visits from people coming to the lake to swim, fish,
sail, or just watch herons and eagles soar over the water. In addition, Jordan
Lake is a source of drinking water for over 100,000 people.
We’ve not
taken good care of the lake. Rain that falls anywhere in the watershed, and
wastewater discharged into upstream creeks, eventually flows down to Jordan
Lake. High levels of pollution – from wastewater plants and from runoff – are
causing algal blooms and extreme chemical conditions in the lake. The problem
isn’t limited to the lake itself; virtually every town upstream has a creek that
has been damaged by pollution.
We can fix this. The federal Clean Water
Act requires that everyone who contributes to the problem help solve it by
reducing the pollution going into the lake. The NC Environmental Management
Commission has proposed a package of rules that will require upgrades at a
number of wastewater treatment plants, and will require better controls of
runoff from new and existing development.
We all need to do our part to clean up Jordan
Lake. Now.
What's New
With the Rules?
Representatives of local governments and the environmental community met
with Representative Lucy Allen, head of the House Environment and Natural
Resources Committee to forge a compromise bill. The new language addresses
the economic concerns of the upriver cities while still retaining the mandate to
reduce nutrient pollution from existing development. House Bill 239 was written
to reflect the agreements that came out of these meetings. It easily
passed the House and then passed the Senate. It goes back for final
language agreement on technicalities for the House and Senate versions and will
then be signed into law. There is still a chance that other parts of the rules
that deal with roadways and new development could be weakened by DOT or the
homebuilder's lobby before the session is over. Any rule that has not been
changed from the Environmental Management Commission versions when the General
Assembly adjourns, will become law.
Thanks to all those that worked so
hard to pass these rules and ensure clean water across the watershed.
The first actions that will be undertaken under the new rules will be a
reduction in phosphorus from Waste Water Treatment Plants and water
monitoring on the part of local governments.
To
see the complete final rules, click here