Public Works - The Water System

The town owns three wells, the Vess, Powers and Parmely, with a combined capacity of 97,000 gallons per day (GPD) from which all water for the town system is drawn. These include The town also owns two ground level storage tanks, Pool Creek and Washburn, with a total capacity of 100,000 gallons and about 11.5 miles of distribution lines. The water quality of the wells is monitored by town personnel continuously and by state and federal agencies. The wells continue to be an excellent source of drinking water and produce very high quality water; therefore, treatment is limited to mild chlorination to meet a federal mandate.

The town’s water system is limited to the area west of Snug Harbor in the vicinity of Memorial Highway and has 327-metered connections. A private company, Carolina Water System, serves Lake Lure Golf & Beach Resort, Apple Valley and Shumont Estates under contract with the Fairfield Mountains Property Owners Association.

We are currently working with Chimney Rock to establish a form of partnership for both water and sewer service, and have pending a grant application to fund a study of various partnership alternatives to determine the most beneficial and cost effective way to proceed. These alternatives will range from a simple interconnection to allow one water system to sell water to the other, through the formation of an independent water/sewer authority to take over the operation of utility services for both municipalities. Our hope is that through a mutual agreement, Lake Lure will be able to utilize the excess capacity of the new Chimney Rock system. We have also applied for another grant in the amount of $400,000 to add several 6" lines to improve pressure and provide fire flow, plus a new pump and main to connect the Powers well to the Washburn reservoir.

The town also entered into a venture with a local developer to increase proposed water lines to provide fire service. The housing development at the end of Seton Road required several new 4" water lines to service the lots in the development, but the town wanted the area to have fire hydrants for fire protection and to help improve our fire rating, which could affect fire insurance rates. We also wanted the new line to “loop” back to the town main to help with water pressure. We agreed to pay the difference in cost between the 4" and 6" lines and the extension of the line to complete the loop. When completed, the subdivision will have new fire hydrants paid for by the developer and we will have a greater capacity line and new hydrants along Memorial Highway near the post office and the Mountain Bank Plaza at town expense, all of which will end up being much less expensive than if the projects were done individually.

On the recommendation of the zoning and planning board, the town council adopted amendments to the subdivision regulations to require all new subdivisions to provide 6" water lines. Larger subdivisions will also have to either connect to the town system or create independent community water system typically, a community well, distribution lines and storage tanks, where needed. In addition, all new subdivisions or extensions to existing subdivisions must be connected to the town water distribution system where access to the town system is available within one half mile of the new development. These amendments will ensure the residents of the town will be served by good quality, plentiful potable water and be protected by adequate water for firefighting.