INC NEWS - Message From The City Manaqger On Water

[RW Pickle]

First of all, I want to thank Durham citizens for reducing your water
usage by 15 percent since water restrictions began, helping tremendously
toward extending our water supply.  Be assured that attention is sharply
focused on meeting the needs of our customers, both today and for the long
haul.  I would like to clarify just what Durham’s water situation is by
providing answers to some questions you’ve asked:

1.	Is Durham in danger of running out of water?  Durham is not in danger
of exhausting its water supply.  With citizens responding to restrictions
by reducing their usage, combined with other measures that the city would
take long before reaching that point, we will be able to extend our supply
through this drought.  The number you’ve seen - 76 days - represents a
snapshot in time, and is based on a worst case scenario, without a single
drop of rain between now and December, no additional water flow into our
reservoirs, and no reduction in usage.

2.	Why has Durham waited “so long” compared to other cities to begin
mandatory restrictions?  Durham approached the current drought very
similarly to how we handled the 2002 and 2005 droughts.  In both cases,
the City was generally commended for our actions, and we never came close
to running out of water.  Other area communities have different demands
and resources, and have their own unique situations to consider when
deciding to begin water restrictions.  Our experience with the two recent
droughts supports our approach to managing water supplies during drought
conditions.

3.	How does Durham calculate “remaining days of supply” numbers?  This
number changes every day based on conditions.  Durham calculates days of
supply based on weekly average usage and the current available volume in
our lakes.  Other communities may calculate the number differently. Our
method assumes no additional flow and no rainfall, a worst case scenario. 
Since mandatory restrictions began on Sept. 21, Durham has seen a 15
percent decrease in use, adding days to Durham’s water supply.  Meeting
our 30 percent reduction goal would extend the supply significantly.

4.	How much water does Durham really have left?   Using the snapshot in
time approach, with conservation levels and other factors, Durham
currently has about 80 days.  However, using comparable assumptions as
Raleigh, Durham has a 106-day supply, which does not include the
approximately 70 days Durham has on hand in its emergency reserve of 1.2
billion gallons or accessing other resources.  So when we use all
available options, our “days of supply” would be approximately 176 days.
 
5.	How can you help?  Learn more about what you can do to save water no
matter where you live by logging on to www.durhamnc.gov and clicking on
the “water supply status” hot link.

It is important that we all work together during this period to ensure
that Durham and our entire region have sufficient water to meet our needs.

Sincerely,

Patrick W. Baker, Durham City Manager