Charlottesville City Council placated concerned citizens and interest groups by tabling the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority's regional water supply plan at its meeting last night.
The water supply plan compares the 50-year demand forecast for each public water system within the region with the existing available supply. The plan predicts demand will outweigh the sustainable supply of water, based on information collected by environmental firm Gannett Fleming in 2004.
Representatives from local interest groups, such as Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan, urged Council to reject the plan because of its reliance on untimely data.
"What RWSA has failed to do is to revise the safe yield of the water system to account for the results of more recent" studies of groundwater, said Rebecca Quinn, a member of Citizens for a Sustainable Water Plan.
The data from 2004 supports the controversial plan to raise the Ragged Mountain Dam to increase the water supply, and many citizens oppose the project because of alleged taxpayer and environmental burdens.
Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris reiterated a concern about basing the plan on potentially outdated information.
"It seems that we should at least acknowledge the fact that we've got some updated information, even if it doesn't answer every question," Norris said.
Several members of the public, including Quinn and independent Council candidate Brandon Collins, called for Council to hold off on its decision to allow more time for the public to comment on the proposal.
"It was the appropriate thing to do," Quinn said. "The plan is incomplete. It inadequately addresses citizen comments."
RWSA Executive Director Tom Frederick maintained the organization's commitment to public transparency.
"We held previous public meetings on the water demand forecast that went well beyond what was required by regulation," Frederick said.
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