News
May 20, 2008
Raleigh Water Customers Get Added Day To Irrigate
Raleigh water customers now may irrigate twice each week. The City Council today approved the addition of weekend watering. The addition is effective immediately.
Raleigh’s Stage 1 water conservation measures provide for irrigation one day per week. Odd property addresses are permitted on Tuesdays and even property addresses on Wednesdays. Today’s vote allows for odd property addresses to irrigate on Saturdays and even-numbered addresses to water on Sunday. Irrigation on these days by automatic irrigation systems is permitted only from midnight to 10 a.m. Those who use Raleigh-supplied water in garden-hose-attached lawn irrigation sprinklers may irrigate from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on assigned days. The council action also allows for hand-held watering at any time.
Please refer to the chart listed below for specific information regarding water uses:
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WATER USE
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STAGE 1 RULES
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Automatic/non-automatic irrigation systems
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ODD = Tuesday and Saturday EVEN=Wednesday and Sunday
12 a.m. (midnight) – 10 a.m.
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Hose End Sprinklers
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ODD = Tuesday and Saturday EVEN=Wednesday and Sunday
6 a.m.-10 a.m. and
6 p.m.-10 p.m.
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Hand held hose
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Allowed at all times
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Vehicle Washing, Pressure Washing
(non-commercial use)
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Saturday and Sunday (Commercial use is permitted all days)
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Drip irrigation
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Not restricted
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To obtain a New Landscape Establishment Permit, call Public Utilities at 857-4540. With this permit, one may irrigate any day for 45 days from the date of planting from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.
City Manager J. Russell Allen made the recommendation to the City Council. He cited several reasons for putting forth the proposal, foremost Falls Lake’s measuring 9 inches above full. He also said that once-weekly irrigation is insufficient to maintain lawns and shrubs during the oncoming hot weather. Mr. Allen also said that Raleigh water customers are continuing to do a good job of conserving. He noted that consumption is 20 percent less than the normal pumpage for this time of year.
Mr. Allen also reminded the City Council that its members had instructed that a formal move from Stage 1 come only following a careful and comprehensive review of the restrictions by the Council-appointed Water Conservation Council. The City Manager said such a careful study could take several months.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, areas west of Wake County remain in a moderate drought, while most of Wake and points east are classified as “abnormally dry.” The Triangle has enjoyed normal rainfall in recent weeks. May rainfall to date is 2.52 inches, .23 inches above normal month to date. Currently the year-to-date total is just .03 inches below normal.
Other Stage 1 Measures
The Stage 1 conservation measures also limit use of City of Raleigh-supplied water for other residential uses such as washing vehicles at home (allowed on Saturdays and Sundays only), power washing driveways, sidewalks, homes (Saturdays and Sundays only) and filling swimming and decorative pools. The entire Stage 1 water conservation measures are listed here and are available by contacting the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department at 857-4540 or the City of Raleigh Public Affairs Department at 890-3100.
The water conservation measures apply to all City of Raleigh water customers, including those in towns that have merged water and sewer systems with Raleigh. Those towns are Garner, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon.
Falls Lake currently stands at 252.08 feet, which is 7 inches above full. The current 30-day pumpage demand is 41.6 million gallons per day (MGD), an increase of only 3.7 MGD from the lowest pumpage average posted during the Stage 2 water use restrictions.
Prepared by:
Jayne Kirkpatrick
Director
Public Affairs Department
For More Information Contact:
Dale Crisp
Director
Public Utilities Department
One Exchange Plaza, Suite 620
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-857-4540
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