Ever wonder what it takes to maintain Cary’s high-quality drinking water? Dedicated utilities staff work around the clock delivering quality tap water to the community. Cary is proud to announce that the Water Quality Report for 2022 is now available. The report shares the results of more than 900,000 tests performed last year and confirms compliance with all state and national drinking water regulations. In addition, it focuses on how Cary is working to stay well ahead of anticipated regulatory changes. This report gives citizens confidence in the high-quality water that is delivered safely and reliably through a well-maintained system. The full report can be found at carync.gov/waterreport.

The 2022 Water Resources Year In Review report provides meaningful snapshots and historical trends about Cary’s excellent utility service. Last year’s average was  48 gallons of water used per person per day. Consumption has hovered near 50 gallons of water per person per day for the past six years. The average water demand last year was 22.7 million gallons per day.  Aug. 12 saw the highest single-day demand last year at 31 million gallons per day. The full report can be found at bit.ly/2022waterreview.

Construction of the White Oak Church Road water main started in May and will include installation of 3,200 feet of 16-inch water main from White Oak Elementary to Vandiver Way, just south of Morrisville Parkway. The project closes a gap in the water system that will improve operations, water quality, and fire protection for the surrounding area. This quarter, Cary installed more than 1,400 feet of water main. The construction will be completed next quarter and, in coordination with Wake County, will include the installation of a drinking fountain at the American Tobacco Trail White Oak Church Road trailhead access point.

 

Work began in May to replace 1.5 miles of water mains, rehabilitate sewer and stormwater pipes, and revitalize the streets and sidewalks along South Harrison Avenue. Water main replacement work also occurred along West Park Street. The water mains in these areas are being proactively replaced as they approach the end of their service life to improve fire protection and reduce service interruptions. The new water mains have an estimated service life of 100 years. New water service lines will be run to the properties along West Park Street and South Harrison Avenue before the project progresses south of Dry Avenue.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s lead and copper rule revisions is an effort to eliminate lead in drinking water and requires all water systems to submit an inventory of the service line materials. This inventory includes the public side between the main and the meter and the private side between the meter and the building. Cary’s system has about 75,000 total service line connections, including ones in Morrisville, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and the Wake County portion of Research Triangle Park. Cary completed the initial desktop evaluation of the service line inventory, and there are no known lead service lines in the Cary service area. There are, however, about 14,000 locations where a portion or all of the service line is of an unknown material. Staff are working with BlueConduit to use predictive modeling to eliminate these unknowns. The model will identify a small portion of service locations that will require field verification.

 

In June, Cary received two awards from the Partnership of Safe Water initiative at the American Water Works Association annual conference. The first award marked Cary’s 20th year of recognition with the Directors Award for Water Treatment, and the second award highlighted water system operations. In addition, Utility Engineering Manager Robert Hirt presented the findings of a recent study on Cary’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure. As an early adopter of AMI technology in 2011 for collecting water meter reads, Cary has seen significant advancements in software and hardware solutions since implementation. The study and the presentation were both unique in that Cary is among the first to evaluate the transition from a mature system to one that takes full advantage of the technology available today.

Also this quarter, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies awarded Cary’s three wastewater treatment facilities the Platinum Peak Performance Award recognition for exceptional performance, achieving over five consecutive years of 100% National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit compliance.

The Walnut Creek Corridor Study has progressed to the point that potential sites within the floodplain corridor have been identified for possible property or easement acquisition. These properties will enable Cary to extend its greenway system to link the Downtown Cary Park with Fenton, Raleigh, and beyond. The long-term endeavor will help mitigate flooding, enhance open space, and expand tree canopy in downtown, which will provide exponential benefits for the environment and the community’s well-being. 

Committed to making stormwater infrastructure improvements throughout the community, Cary hosted an outreach meeting to seek property owner input on a proposed culvert drainage improvement project. These important infrastructure upgrades on Lake Pine Drive and Brookgreen Drive address drainage issues and further protect the community from the impacts of flooding. Attendees were optimistic about the prospect that this project will help reduce the flood risk to six homes in the vicinity. This meeting launched ongoing communications with these citizens that will continue throughout the project’s design and construction phases. 

 

This quarter, downtown Cary stormwater and floodplain management advanced with construction beginning on the Meridian and Faculty Drive projects. Both in the Swift Creek Basin, these projects showcase how a new and a second-generation stormwater control measure, done in a collaborative manner, have a regional benefit that exceeds required regulatory standards. Cary’s partnership with the Meridian developer and Cary First Baptist Church enhanced the required and new control measure and enabled the project to address legacy flooding issues in the adjacent neighborhood. Through another partnership with the Wake County Public School System, Cary is rehabbing the failing Faculty Drive stormwater control measure. These two partnerships have enabled Cary to have a more significant and regional impact on water quality and flooding in the downtown headwaters of Swift Creek than if these projects were done independently.  

 

Cary continues to receive national attention and accolades for its stream sensor and rain gauge network project. The Association of State Floodplain Managers held its national meeting in Raleigh this quarter and specifically sought out Cary’s stormwater division to provide a presentation and tour of its innovative stream sensor project. Attendees from throughout the United States learned how Cary installed more than 40 stream water level sensors and rain gauges in the Walnut and Swift Creek basins. The devices gather real-time elevation and rainfall data through an IoT network to support stormwater modeling as well as alerts through North Carolina’s Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network. Pioneering floodplain management using innovative technology is keeping Cary a leader in advancing stormwater management. 

 

Wake County Emergency Medical Services held its annual Code: Celebrate event in May to honor emergency responders who contributed to a cardiac arrest resuscitation in 2022. Ten emergency communications officers were recognized for their involvement in 11 cardiac saves, providing callers with vital life-saving directions. Thirty-six fire staff members were honored for their part in 10 cardiac saves in 2022. Cary and Wake County have one of the highest sudden cardiac arrest survivability rates in the nation because of robust 911 communication centers, first responder programs, and EMS system personnel.

Kudos go out to:

• Police Sgt. Titus Moore and Cpl. David Jones for graduation from the West Point Leadership Program, a 102-hour program through Methodist University with a goal to inspire police leaders to develop an informed, systematic, and dynamic approach to leading.
• Fire Capt. Brian Eagen for recognition at VFW Post 7383’s annual First Responder Banquet. Eagen, a U.S. Army veteran, serves as a swiftwater rescue technician, is a member of the fire investigation team and inspections team, and is a project manager, among his many leadership roles and contributions.
• Police Master Officer Andrew Maurer for recognition at VFW Post 7383’s annual First Responder Banquet. Maurer was recognized for his tireless work as a Task Force Officer on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, for which he received a letter of commendation from the FBI’s executive assistant director.