Ashe Mountain Times

By Anna Oakes

The town of Boone is moving forward with plans to build a new 4 million gallon-per-day raw water intake facility near Todd, although the project will require approval from the state legislature.

The planned facility includes an intake on the river and a 30- by 50-foot raw water intake pump station constructed along the south bank. 

Raw water would then be transmitted by water lines to Boone's water treatment plant on Deck Hill Road.

The Boone Town Council was scheduled Tuesday to consider approval of a $37,500 contract with S&ME Inc., a subcontractor of project engineer W.K. Dickson, for a geotechnical subsurface exploration for a 61,900-foot, 24-inch water transmission line along U.S. 421 based on revised plans.

The N.C. Department of Transportation rejected preliminary plans that placed the transmission line within the roadway shoulder in fill slope areas, prompting a revised plan that will allow the line to be as close as five feet from the edge of the pavement, according to a Nov. 30, 2011, letter from S&ME. This results in additional costs for the town.

Last week, the state Rules Review Commission approved a new WS-IV surface water classification for the area located upstream of the proposed water intake site on the South Fork of the New River. 

The Environmental Management Commission signed off on the reclassification in January after Division of Water Quality studies indicated the waters meet water supply standards.

However, the Rules Review Commission received at least 10 letters objecting to the reclassification, prompting a legislative review. 

If a bill disapproving the reclassification is introduced before the 31st legislative day of the General Assembly's regular session and enacted into law, the reclassification will not become effective.

The reclassification is a key part of the permitting process for the project.