In October, the Water Environment Federation presented Cary with the Utility of the Future Today award for its beneficial biosolids use. The Utility of the Future Today program recognizes water and wastewater utilities that advance resource efficiency; maintain proactive relationships with their stakeholders; and create resilient, sustainable, and livable communities. The Water Environment Federation solicits input for the award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and the Water Research Foundation. This was Cary’s second time receiving this honor.

Cary was well represented at the 101st annual conference of the N.C. One Water Association this quarter. The association recognized Cary’s top-performing water distribution and wastewater collection systems, and five Cary employees gave presentations to colleagues from across the state and nation. This is the fourth consecutive year that the collection system received this award and the fifth consecutive year for the water distribution system. Cary also placed a close second in the best-tasting water contest. Finally, Senior Project Manager Betsy Drake was recognized with the prestigious Golden Manhole Award, which highlights individuals who are significant contributors to the advancement of design, training, construction, operations, or management of water distribution or wastewater collection systems. The annual conference is an opportunity for Cary staff to network with peers, share successes, bring back ideas, and demonstrate dedication to excellence in managing and maintaining water and wastewater services.

In October, Cary extended its agreement with Wake County to continue COVID-19 wastewater monitoring for an additional three years and to add tracking of other infectious diseases, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Cary provides influent wastewater samples from its three water reclamation facilities twice a week to Wake County for COVID-19 testing and trending. The information is used and shared with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the state's wastewater monitoring network. 

Oct. 18 marked the 50-year anniversary of the Clean Water Act of 1972. The CWA was the first comprehensive legislation for improving water quality in the United States. It established federal protections and paved the way for rules, policies, and funding targeted toward clean water and environmental protection. Coinciding with this momentous anniversary, national conservation group American Rivers recognized the Neuse River as River of the Year. This accolade is bestowed upon a river each year when environmental stewardship at local, state, and federal levels has made a notable improvement in the overall health of a river system. Cary takes great pride in its clean water programs, including wastewater collection and treatment and stormwater management. 

This summer, Cary completed sewer rehabilitation along the Crabtree Creek Greenway and reopened the trail. Contractors have since moved operations to the Black Creek Greenway between West Dynasty Drive and North Cary Park. For several months, crews have cleaned and inspected sewer lines, installed cured-in-place liners, and repaired manholes along the trail, which reopened in December. 

The next phase of sewer rehabilitation along the Black Creek Greenway extends from North Cary Park to the Crabtree Creek Greenway, and this portion of the trail will be closed until spring 2023. A signed detour will guide trail users around the work zone using the internal trails at North Cary Park, Norwell Boulevard, the Weston Greenway Trail, and the Crabtree Creek Greenway. Final completion of the sewer rehabilitation project is scheduled for summer 2023.

In October, the Cary Police Department’s Project PHOENIX unit hosted its annual Unity in the Community block party on Nottingham Drive. The block party invites residents from the three Project PHOENIX communities located along the street to come and enjoy fun activities, games, and food for the day. This year’s participants included some new faces and groups, including Cary Resources for Seniors, El Centro Hispano, Wake County Health and Human Services, SAFEChild, and more.

In October, experts from Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service delivered the Emergency Operations Center All Hazards Event class to 38 employees representing multiple departments. This highly sought-after class provides personnel who could be assigned to an Emergency Operations Center the skills needed to effectively plan for and manage a large-scale incident by applying and implementing an all-hazards, multi-disciplinary, management-team approach. The course places specific emphasis on the planning, resource, and information management processes.

This quarter, two firefighters were recognized for their work in Cary. In October, the North Carolina and South Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators presented Captain Dennis Jacot with the N.C. Fire Investigator of the Year Award. Also, the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association presented Master Firefighter Daniel Havens with the Hometown Hero Award, which recognizes first responders who go above and beyond the call of duty.  

Cary’s Climate Action Plan continues to move forward with staff, consultants, and citizen representatives from the Environmental Advisory Board. This quarter has seen the creation of a baseline assessment of municipal and community-wide data to be finalized in the beginning of 2023. From there, the baseline will be analyzed to generate greenhouse gas reduction pathways analyses. Communications and equitable engagement opportunities will begin in February and continue into the fall. The plan is on track to be completed by April 2024. 

November wrapped up final harvests of summer vegetables planted by volunteers, firefighters, and Cary staff in gardens townwide with 443 pounds donated to Dorcas Ministries. This food security work is poised to continue from the gardens at the Compost Education Center, where volunteers planted winter-weather vegetables this quarter. Thanks to a collaboration with community partners from the Cary Garden Club, these crops will be tended for future donations. Volunteer work at community gardens complements the farmer training program at Good Hope Farm, where 11 farmers harvested 25,935 pounds of produce in 2022 that reached kitchen tables all over town.

Cary’s commitment to wildlife and native ecosystems continues to grow. An October native plant workshop in Heater Park saw community volunteers and Cary staff come together to dig-in more than 600 plants and plugs that will revitalize the park’s creek bed, help reduce erosion, add visual beauty, and support biodiversity. Plums, cranberries, blueberries, hibiscus varieties, sedges, river oats, and more can be seen hibernating now, flowering in 2023, and growing for many years to come. In southern Cary, Jack Smith Park also received a planting of more than 12 each of native trees and winter holly bushes, as well as more than 15 blueberry bushes on the hillside adjacent to the playground. 

While improvements are easily seen aboveground, soil plays a vital role. Cary’s commitment to regenerative agriculture and soil health is highlighted in a recent article published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and available at bit.ly/CarySoil. The article showcases the work of Good Hope Farm as a national model for growing healthy food systems and the role Cary’s agricultural practices play in mitigating climate change.  

Solar energy continues to be a bright topic as Cary maintains its status as a Gold Level SolSmart community with outreach, engagement, and regional partnerships. This quarter, Cary-based company Yes Solar Solutions hosted an educational booth reaching hundreds of participants at Harvest Fest in October and a joint virtual lunch-and-learn with Cary staff that attracted 65 registrants in December. 

While SolSmart focuses on reducing barriers to accessing solar installation, Cary also joined Solarize the Triangle, which provides homeowners, nonprofits, and small local businesses reduced pricing tiers through group purchasing options. Led by the Triangle J Council of Governments, this program ran from Aug. 10 to Dec. 31. In one of the largest Solarize campaigns ever created, 1,500 people signed up to receive a free consultation and have until the end of spring to decide whether to purchase. As of December, Tier 4 (of 8) pricing was already achieved with more than 700 kW of renewable solar power purchased through more than 60 homeowner contracts. Once completed, these installations will mitigate more than 1 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, which is the equivalent of 100 gas-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.

A total of 168 trees was planted on Cary-owned properties this quarter, with 60 completed by Scouts at the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility, 4 at the North Cary Water Reclamation Facility, 16 at New Hope Trailhead, and 15 at Westhigh Street. Particularly noteworthy were the 73 trees added to recently acquired distressed residential lots on Jodhpur Drive. While each tree planted is important for its contribution to Cary’s tree canopy and environmental health, the trees planted at the Jodhpur Drive locations also celebrate the culmination of a significant adaptive stormwater project. 

After modeling property flood patterns in the immediate area and assessing options, Cary purchased three contiguous properties, two of which consistently experienced structural flooding and the third a vacant lot that repeatedly experienced flooding. Staff assured the homeowners association and property management company that Cary’s intent was to return the lots to open space, replant the riparian buffer, and reestablish the natural floodplain. The homes were demolished, and Cary maintained the lots until this quarter when the trees were planted. Cary’s stormwater management strategy encompasses a holistic and integrated approach that includes open space acquisitions to address a range of environmental needs. Some of Cary’s open space acquisitions mitigate flooding and help prevent structural flooding; others, like this one, protect and restore open space, fill in the woodland corridor, and accelerate the natural restoration of land.

Interest and participation in the pilot food waste recycling drop-off continues to grow. Throughout the pilot, more than 11,000 drop-offs occurred, diverting 73,226 pounds (nearly 37 tons) of material from the landfill. Overall, Cary achieved almost double its goal of collecting 16 tons over the pilot year. Results have established the drop-off is a valuable addition to solid waste services. In addition, 2 tons of finished compost will be delivered to Good Hope Farm in early 2023 to help spread the value of compost use within the community. Cary staff has coordinated to keep the drop-off operational past the pilot term. This quarter, Cary also presented about the project at state conferences and to inquiring municipalities and shared the municipal service model as a resource in the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s new ”Use the Food NC” campaign.