At its meeting tonight (Thursday), the OWASA board will discuss declaring a Stage Three Water Shortage, which would include additional restrictions and surcharges for water use. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Town Hall and will be televised on local cable channel 18. Water reserves have steadily dwindled since last summer. Recent rainfall has not significantly raised lake levels and the current supply would last about five or six more months without further rainfall. OWASA staff recommended that the Stage Three Shortage be declared if lakes were at less than 45 percent capacity at the end of the month. They stand at about 40 percent now.

The board will also consider the use of Jordan Lake as a reservoir in the future, but it would be years before the necessary infrastructure could be built.