48 Percent of North Carolina is Under Mandatory Water Conservation

Water conservation teams dispatched from Department of Environment and Natural Resources

September 28, 2007

LENOIR COUNTY NC NEWS -- Water conservation teams have been dispatched from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The teams will work with local communities hit hardest by the drought to explore and implement ways to minimize water consumption and extend available resources. Many communities have already answered the governor's earlier call to impose water conservation measures and voluntarily conserve. As a result, the rates of consumption have shown significant improvement, but the lack of significant rain calls for even more vigilance as the drought continues.

Governor Easley, dispatching the water conservation teams said, "We must continue to do everything we can to encourage towns and counties to conserve water because this drought shows no signs of letting up. By providing these water conservation teams to work with local water system operators, we can encourage greater conservation and get more cities and towns to save water."

The governor made the announcement on Thursday as members of the state's Drought Management Advisory Council met in Raleigh to collect together the latest information on the drought. Members of the council provided updates on rainfall amounts and stream flows and revealed the latest federal drought map.

Information gathered by the state divisions of Environmental Health and Water Resources show communities implementing water shortage response plans are working. For example, there has been a 16 percent drop in daily water use since Raleigh put mandatory water restrictions into effect on August 28. Duke Energy also reported this week those voluntary restrictions in the Catawba River valley appear to have helped slow the draining of the company's lakes along the river.

Various divisions within the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be stepping up their efforts to assist local communities with drought issues. The Division of Water Resources is helping public water system managers carefully monitor water supplies. As a precaution, the division has instructed public water system managers to identify supplemental water sources such as wells or ponds or the option of purchasing water from other systems.

Both the Water Resources staff and the Public Water Supply Section, monitor local communities' drought vulnerability to determine which communities may need assistance. Water Resources is also working with the Division of Water Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete emergency permit reviews for projects that may be needed for drought response, such as connections between water systems.

Should such improvements be needed there are several resources available for local communities that may need financial assistance:

• The Public Water Supply Section has emergency loans available; the NC Rural Economic Development Center has set aside $10 million in grants available to rural communities facing a water crisis
• The NC Department of Commerce has community development block grants available, targeted at low and moderate income communities.

The state Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance is working with industry to identify ways that businesses can save water. Such activities include installing water saving devices, checking for leaks, eliminating exterior water uses, and educating employees about water conservation.

Governor Easley continues to remind all North Carolina residents to conserve water, as meteorologists do not expect any significant rainfall statewide during the next 10 days. NCDENR offers the following water conservation tips:

• Listen for dripping faucets. Fixing a leak can save 500 gallons each month.
• Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage.
• Pick up the phone and report water losses from broken pipes, open hydrants and errant sprinklers.
• Make sure you know where your master water shut-off valve is located. This could save gallons of water and damage to your home if a pipe bursts.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• When you shop for a new appliance, consider one offering cycle and load size adjustments.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl before flushing, you have a leak. It's easy to fix and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.
• Be sure your toilet flapper doesn't stay open after flushing.
• Place a brick or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on the amount of water used for each flush.
• We're likely to notice leaky faucets indoors, but also check outdoor faucets, pipes and hoses for leaks.
• Time your shower to keep it under five minutes. You'll save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth, shave and lather your hands. You can save four gallons a minute.
• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when full and you could save 1,000 gallons a month.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. It can save your family more than 500 gallons a week.
• Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• Buy a rain gauge to track how much rain your yard receives. If it fills to an inch, you don't need to water.
• Install aerators on all of your faucets.
• Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, and then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
• Listen for a running or leaking toilet. Fixing a leak can save 500 gallons each month.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk; save 80 gallons of water every time.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes into you and not the drain.
• Water your lawn during the early morning hours when temperatures are cooler.
• Use only one glass for your drinking water each day. It will minimize use of the dishwasher.
• Collect natural water with a rain barrel for lawn and garden watering or car washing.

As of date, 82 systems tracked by the state have enacted mandatory water use restrictions and 78 have put voluntary water conservation in place. That means more than 48 percent of the state's population is under mandatory water conservation and 22 percent is under voluntary. Ninety-seven of North Carolina's 100 counties are in either exceptional, extreme or severe drought. Only Carteret, Hyde and Pamlico counties are in moderate drought.