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November 2011 |
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Boone-Blowing Rock Water Connection Complete! |
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The Towns of Blowing Rock and Boone recently completed construction of an interconnection line between the two municipalities’ water systems.
The primary purpose of the interconnection is to supply Blowing Rock with water in the event of a drought. For many years, Blowing Rock has struggled to maintain its water supply during periods of little rain.
Because the town is located on the edge of the Blue Ridge escarpment, streams in the vicinity are small and extremely variable in their volume of water. The municipality has a single reservoir on a small creek that has become inadequate at times, forcing the Town to temporarily withdraw water from a private lake.
The project consisted of installing almost five miles of water line along Hwy 321. The Rural Center and the Appalachian Regional Commission provided partial funding, with Watauga County serving as the fiduciary agent for a portion of the grant funds.
Blowing Rock’s year-round population of 1,241 will benefit, but busy weekends in town bring in up to an estimated 20,000 visitors, resulting in heavy water usage by lodging establishments and restaurants. The project will parallel Boone’s interconnection with Appalachian State University’s system. This interconnection will be very complementary, as ASU uses much less water in the summer, while Blowing Rock’s peak usage occurs at the same time.
Though Blowing Rock is the focus of the project, Boone and ASU will benefit as well. Access to Blowing Rock’s water supply (if capacity is available) could be critical to Boone or ASU in the event of an emergency. In short, the project will maximize the flexibility of all three systems.
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Photo Courtesy of Jeff Eason, Mountain Times |
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Volume 31 Issue 2 |
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Blowing Rock Mayor J.B. Lawrence, N.C. Dept of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Dee Freeman, and Boone Mayor Loretta Clawson officially turn the valve to open the new water line between the two towns. |
