News Flash

The Western Intake Partnership (WIP) will engage in fieldwork on and directly adjacent to Jordan Lake beginning the week of October 24. This work for the Jordan Lake Water Supply Project is expected to last for several months. Consultants associated with the project will begin fieldwork on Jordan Lake and nearby land being considered for a raw water intake and raw water pump station. The sites being considered are properties located along or near the lake, operated by North Carolina State Parks or owned by OWASA. These are two critical components of the Partnership’s water supply project, which is currently in Phase 1.

Fieldwork will occur at a few selected areas in the Vista Point State Recreational Area, as well as on property adjacent to the Park owned by Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA). Although most of the field activities will be conducted at sites away from the lake and visitors to state park facilities, visitors to Vista Point State Recreation Area (west side of Jordan Lake) and Ebenezer Church State Recreation Area (east side of Jordan Lake) as well as recreational boaters in Jordan Lake may observe some activity. The WIP consulting team will occasionally use watercrafts to perform surveys and studies on the lake. These operations on the water and at park facilities will not cause much noise or disruption of activities for those who use Jordan Lake and Vista Point for recreational purposes. 

About the Western Intake Partnership
The Western Intake Partnership is a joint effort of Chatham County, the City of Durham, the Town of Pittsboro, and Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) to secure a long-term regional water supply for the communities they serve. The Partnership was formed in 2014. In 2020, following extensive study, the Partnership decided to move forward with a plan to withdraw and treat water from Jordan Lake and deliver it to the member’s water customers. 

Phase 1 (through 2024) of the Jordan Lake Water Supply Project will identify facility location and pipeline route alternatives, determine the capacities required, evaluate treatment process alternatives, select the governance model for the Partnership, and conduct an environmental review process. The project is expected to begin construction in 2027 and be completed by 2031. 

Information about the project can be found at www.WesternIntakePartnership.com. Questions may be emailed to [email protected], or phoned in to a project hotline at 919-379-5774.
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