MEMBERS PRESENT

Cheryl Sweeney Northgate Park NA

Bill Scott Lassiter Street

Fred Mowry Colony Park NA

Pat Carstensen Cross County

Wayne Brogden City of Durham

Bambi Markham Wilson City of Durham

Erick Larson Tuscaloosa/Lakewood NA

Mike Woodard Watts Hospital/Hillandale NA

Bernadette Cooper Lassiter Street

Mike Shiflett Watts Hospital/Hillandale NA

Administration and Announcements

Past President Mike Shiflett opened the meeting.

Program

The program on storm water education and awareness was provided by the Storm Water Department of Public Works. Bambi Wilson pointed out that Durham is fortunate in having two watershed areas: the Cape Fear and the Neuse River. The kinds of pollution compromising our water sheds comes from:

§ Point pollution (like a factory)

§ Sewer treatment plants

§ Storm drains.

The biggest source of pollution is soil. When using fertilizers, it is recommended that soil samples be sent to the NC Department of Agriculture for testing and using only the type specified and the amount required. Dumping also contributes to pollution of ground waters. A solid waste-recycling center located at 1900 E. Club Boulevard is open the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of each month from 9AM to 5PM to address this issue. Car washing, another source of pollution should be done with non-phosphorous cleaners in a grassed area that will absorb the cleaner and grime.

Another program is the Storm Drain ID program whereby neighborhoods can identify their storm drains and place stickers on them outlining their use.

Wayne Brogden spoke next about storm drain under-capacity problems in various parts of the City. His department has created a priority system for scheduling repairs and upgrades. Priority 1 is imminent danger to property; 2 is danger and 3 indicates a probable problem in the future that will be addressed when time allows. There are 60 priority 1’s, 88 priority 2’s and 450 priority 3’s. To date, 58 priority 1’s have been completed at a cost of $1.3 million. At this time 90% of the cities storm drain system has been inventoried and includes information such as what types of pipe were used, their slope and size and the location of each catch-basin and outfall. Drain pipes are constructed of terra cotta, concrete, corrugated metal and steel and range in size from 12 to 54 inches. These evaluations especially benefit older neighborhoods where roots have compromised the system or there is inadequate capacity.

Rules are in place that control the amount of storm run-off any new development can create. Currently the maximum increase is set at 10% of existing flows.

Because Durham sits on a ridge it doesn’t usually receive pollution from other cities. The Eno River is one of the cleanest in the state and unfortunately the Ellerbee Creek is one of the dirtiest. Of the 17 watersheds in North Carolina, Durham has two of them.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:45PM.