INC NEWS - City of Durham Enacts Additional Water Conservation Measures on Sept 4

[John Schelp]

For Immediate Release:  August 29, 2007

City of Durham Enacts Additional Water Conservation
Measures

Stage II: Voluntary Conservation Practices Effective
September 4

The City of Durham will enact Stage II: Voluntary
Conservation Practices of the City’s Water
Conservation Ordinance, effective Tuesday, September
4, 2007, due to continued dry conditions and a
statewide declaration of severe drought by the North
Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council.  

With no significant rainfall predicted for the next
five to seven days, the City’s Department of Water
Management has recommended the heightened voluntary
conservation measures in Stage II: Voluntary
Conservation Practices of the City’s ordinance. 

According to City Manager Patrick Baker, by
implementing Stage II, the City hopes to decrease the
daily water demand by at least 10 percent, further
extending the water supply.  “ Durham has not
experienced the same level of strain on our water
supply in comparison to other communities, mainly due
to our sound planning in predicting infrastructure
growth to meet our water needs and the year-round
conservation practiced by our residents,” Baker said. 
“We also own our water supply lakes and are the only
municipality who has access to them, which is another
reason we have not needed to heighten voluntary
conservation measures until now.  However, given the
current forecast for continuing drought conditions, we
think it’s prudent to step up our level of
conservation so we can ensure our current water supply
is extended even more.” 

Several factors over the past few months have
contributed to the declining levels at the City’s two
water supply lakes.  With August now the driest month
on record coupled with slightly higher than normal
water use, averaging 36.12 million gallons per day
(MGD) compared to 33.16 MGD for August of last year,
Little River Lake is approximately 7 feet below full
and Lake Michie is approximately 11 feet below full.  

However, the City’s lake levels are significantly
better than the record drought of 2002.  According to
Baker, City staff has been monitoring drought
conditions carefully, using predictive computer models
which incorporate historical rainfall, stream flows
and water demands.  This also allows staff to compare
today’s water supply situation to that of the 2002
drought.  “For example, during the week of August 26,
2002, Lake Michie was 23.25 feet below full and Little
River Lake was 12.69 feet below full, which gave us a
combined lake volume of only 30 percent of full
capacity back in 2002.  Today, our two lakes are at 60
percent of full capacity,” Baker said.  “Water demand
was 26 million gallons per day in 2002 because Durham
had been in mandatory restrictions for a full two
months by August of 2002, and our residents had
responded by reducing demand by 30 percent   Today,
our water demand has averaged 36.88 million gallons
per day for the month of August 2007, but this
increase reflects a 19 percent increase our population
served, which was approximately 180,000 customers in
2002 versus 220,000 customers in 2007.”

Stage II of the ordinance asks residents to increase
their level of conservation beyond those in Stage I:
Continuing Voluntary Conservation Practices, which is
in effect year-round.  Stage I encourages residents to
check fixtures for leaks and keep them in good repair,
store water to drink in the refrigerator instead of
letting the tap run, take four minute showers instead
of baths, and turn off the tap while shaving or
brushing teeth.  Residents are also encouraged to wash
only full loads in clothes washers and dishwashers.  

In Stage II: Voluntary Conservation Practices,
residents are asked to continue the practices of Stage
I and:

* Limit the use of clothes washer and dishwashers and
only wash full loads.

* Reduce toilet flushing to the minimum, whenever
practical.

* Water the lawn only when grass shows signs of
withering; water late in day after 6 p.m. if possible.


* Limit watering of shrubs to a minimum and reuse
household water when possible.

* Limit car washing at home.

* Limit washing down sidewalks, driveways, patios, and
other hard surfaces.

* Limit the hours of operation of water-cooled air
conditioners.

* Use biodegradable, disposable dishes and utensils
(residential and commercial) where feasible.

Additionally, City staff strongly advises that all
customers defer the installation of any new
landscaping or sod due the intensive watering that
these new features require.  Food service
establishments can also help by only serving water to
customers upon request.  City crews will continue to
conduct planned spot flushing of the distribution
system for water quality purposes during the next
couple of weeks.

If dry conditions persist, the City will then
determine if Stage III Moderate Mandatory Conservation
measures are needed.  Some of the requirements of
Stage III include allowing residents to only water
lawns during certain days and hours and prohibits
using water to wash down outside areas such as
sidewalks, patios and driveways.  “Historically, our
residents have embraced a commendable conservation
ethic as a result of the behavior changes we all
learned and practiced during the 2002 drought,” Baker
said.  “We hope that our residents will truly take
Stage II measures to heart again this year so the
likelihood of declaring mandatory measures is greatly
reduced,” Baker said.  

City staff updates the Water Supply Status Web site
daily.  Residents may access the information from the
red “hot link” on the homepage of the City’s Web site
at www.durhamnc.gov.  Additional conservation tips,
information on water-wise landscaping or how to
acquire rain barrels are also posted on the Web site. 
Residents may also call the City’s Department of Water
Management at (919) 560-4381 for additional
information.


About the Department of Water Management
The City’s Department of Water Management is
responsible for the operation and maintenance of
Durham 's water supply, water treatment and water
reclamation (wastewater treatment) facilities, the
collection and distribution systems (including meter
reading) and customer billing services.  For more
information on this department, visit the City’s Web
site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/wm/.