OWASA Helps Bring Water Re-use System to Campus
By Maggie Faust

The Orange Water and Sewer Authority of Carrboro and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are joining forces to help prevent droughts in the future.

The two organizations have agreed to work together to build a water re-use system on campus. The system should be completed by November of 2008.

Water re-use refers to using highly treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes, such as cooling towers and street cleaning on campus. It should prove to be a good deal cheaper for UNC.

“We are anticipating that cost of water re-use to be between $1.50 to $2 per 1,000 gallons. Compared to almost $4 per 1,000 for drinking water, it is a lot cheaper,” said Patrick Davis, an OWASA administrator.

The University will pay $10 million for the system and expects to make that money back by 2014.