Issue link: http://townofcary.uberflip.com/i/840589
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Staff contacted 60 residents who experienced flooding during Hurricane Matthew or the July 2017 thunderstorm and provided information regarding Disaster Relief funds available through FEMA. Subsequently, staff facilitated the submission of applications for 11 residential properties. Four properties requested HMGP assistance for FEMA to acquire the property and relocate and seven properties requested assistance to fund raising the house to reduce the flood risk to the structure. No timeline has been provided by FEMA as to when decisions will be made regarding the grant applications. Inter-Basin Transfer (IBT) Status The Town is operating under the IBT Certificate issued in March 2015, which will accommodate all of our forecasted water needs through 2045. Monthly average IBT for the past 12 months is illustrated in the following graph. The peak month average transfer from the Haw River basin to the Neuse River basin in the past 12 months was 15.2 million gallons per day (MGD), in August. This was less than 50% of the certificate limit. In June 2015, the City of Fayetteville and Fayetteville's Public Works Commission filed a petition against the NC Environmental Management Commission (EMC) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The petition contested the decision to issue the 2015 certificate. In February, an administrative law judge ruled in favor of Fayetteville, finding the Town's IBT certificate should be modified to include a provision specifying the estimated amount of Western Wake Regional Water Reclamation Facility effluent to be returned to the Cape Fear River in future years, corresponding to future growth in the Neuse River basin portions of the Cary/Apex/Morrisville service area. The state has appealed the ruling. A schedule for a ruling on the appeal has not yet been provided; the judge's ruling will not be implemented until the appeal is resolved. Long Range Water Resources Plan Update Water Resources staff has begun updating the Town's Long Range Water Resources Plan, which is being developed by the engineering consultant CH2M. It is expected to be complete in 12 months. The current Long Range Water Resources Plan was developed in 2011-2012. These plans are periodically reviewed and updated to ensure the Town maintains reliable and sufficient water supplies to serve our current and future citizens. The Plan addresses Town needs for water supply, water treatment, reclaimed water use, demand management and wastewater treatment for a 50-year planning horizon. The first phase of the project will be a water use analysis of 2012-2016 citizen behaviors using utility system data, potable and reclaimed water use billing data, and Aquastar monitoring data.