[Durham INC] Durham Adopts Year-Round Water Efficiency Ordinance

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  May 4, 2009

 

Durham Adopts Year-Round Water Efficiency Ordinance Effective June 1

Outdoor Watering to be Allowed Up to Three Days Per Week

 

Durham, N.C. - The City of Durham and its regional partners are taking
steps to make sure all residents and businesses are using water as
efficiently as possible.  Beginning Monday, June 1, 2009, the City will
implement new year-round water efficiency measures for all Durham water
customers.  

 

During tonight's City Council meeting, the Council adopted a year-round
water efficiency ordinance that incorporates mandatory alternate-day
outdoor irrigation schedules and prohibits wasteful uses of potable
water.  The new outdoor irrigation schedule applies to all spray
irrigation systems and allows customers to irrigate on the following
schedule:

*         Odd-numbered addresses may water once on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays either before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.  

*         Even-numbered addresses may water once on Sundays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays either before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.  

*         No watering will be allowed to occur between 10 a.m. and 6
p.m. on allowed watering days. 

*         No customers will be permitted to water on Mondays.  

*         Temporary licenses will be allowed to establish new
landscapes.

*         Hand-watering and drip irrigations systems are not restricted.

 

According to Vicki Westbrook, deputy director of the City's Department
of Water Management, this new ordinance is a result of the regional
effort to coordinate water efficiency and water shortage response
requirements with neighboring municipalities and closely matches
existing irrigation schedules already in place for water customers in
the Town of Cary, City of Raleigh, and with the Orange Water and Sewer
Authority (OWASA).  "We enjoyed the collaborative process with our
neighboring water providers to develop consistent year-round water
efficiency measures," Westbrook said.  "The new irrigation restrictions
will help Durham manage demand on the water system and encourage wise
water use.  If our customers adopt efficient irrigation practices, we
can reduce consumption, save money, and preserve this precious
resource."  

 

According to Westbrook, by allowing three days per address, Durham's
water customers will have the flexibility to choose which days work best
for them.  "We have learned in the past several years that local
landscapes can survive, and even thrive, with only one inch of rain (or
irrigation) per week, so watering every day is just not necessary - it's
wasteful of a very precious, limited resource," Westbrook said.  "For
Durham, irrigation during summer months can increase demand on our
treatment plants between 20 and 40 percent.  By enacting this new
ordinance, we can make a real impact on our water consumption as a
community."

 

In addition to the irrigation schedule, the new efficiency ordinance
requires rain sensors or soil moisture sensors for all newly installed
automated irrigation systems.  Existing systems must install sensors by
November 30, 2009.  Additional requirements of the ordinance include:

*         No excessive runoff from landscape irrigation.

*         No irrigation while it's raining.

*         Required repair of known leaks within 30 days.

 

For more information about Durham's new ordinance and for water-saving
tips, contact the City's water conservation staff at (919) 560-4381 or
log on to www.DurhamSavesWater.org.

 

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, visit www.durhamnc.gov/departments/wm.

 

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