Drought puts a hold on water, sewer decision

DURHAM -- Drought concerns prompted the City Council to delay a decision on whether to extend water and sewer service to a proposed subdivision near Southpoint shopping center.

The move could herald a broader conversation about whether the city should call a moratorium on all development as Durham grapples with a severe water shortage.

Even if council had approved the extension, Jordan at Southpointe, a 228-unit subdivision, still would need approval from the Development Review Board.

But council members weren't comfortable taking even one step toward sanctioning a new large development without first getting some sense of what it would mean to rapidly depleting water supplies.

"I just can't in good conscience, knowing what we know now, say 'Let's move forward,' " Mayor Bill Bell said.

He noted that the city's current development laws were crafted two years ago when water was plentiful. "We always assumed we had the resources to supply that growth," he said.

"But we just can't forget we're operating in a different environment than we were two years ago, or even three months ago."

City staff will meet with developers in the next two weeks to determine how much water the neighborhood in South Durham would use if built. The matter is slated to come back to council at their Dec. 17 meeting.

Council members Diane Catotti and Mike Woodard wanted to give city staff longer to research the issue.

But a representative of Jordan at Southpointe LLC said delays cost the company $45,000 a month, prompting the council to try to move ahead quickly.