After last spring’s study confirmed widespread well water contamination in the Rogers Road neighborhood, there is little question the area’s water and sewage system needs attention.
And, despite the enormity of the task, community members proved last week that progress is in fact possible by winning a $75,000 grant to connect eight houses to Chapel Hill water.
Given the community’s nearly four decade-long stint as host of the Orange County Landfill, the county is effectively responsible for the poor water quality and, at the very least, should take measures to restore water quality to its pre-landfill levels.
An even better alternative would be to fund the connection of Rogers Road residences to Chapel Hill water and eliminate the insidious influence of the landfill on water quality altogether.
What is needed at this juncture is for county officials to devote their energy to helping the community find and implement solutions.
It is vital that this community have their support in obtaining this basic amenity that most take entirely for granted.
The environmental impact of the Orange County landfill in a historically black and poor community was grave enough to draw the attention of UNC’s School of Public Health, from those who gave the grant, and even from the White House.
But the problems aren’t solved yet. And until community members enjoy a standard of living that includes clean water, the County’s job won’t be done.
