News
March 3, 2008
Mayor Applauds Reduction In Falls Release, Announces Spot Inspections
Mayor Charles Meeker announced today that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) has agreed to reduce the amount of water it releases at the dam from Falls Lake daily by 27 cubic feet per second (CFS). This is 17 million gallons per day (MGD) or 500 MGD per month. (The COE manages Falls Lake, which is Raleigh’s water supply.)
This reduction in the daily flow released at the dam to the Neuse River will preserve water in the water quality storage pool portion of the lake’s conservation pool and, in doing so, keep the lake level from falling as rapidly. This reduction is only for the month of March, Mayor Meeker said. The City will ask the COE to make the reduction apply through the duration of the drought.
At the 11:30 a.m. media conference, held at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex downtown and attended by U.S. Rep. Brad Miller and U.S. Rep. David Price, Mayor Meeker also thanked the Raleigh water system’s customers for their continued conservation efforts. Stage 2 water conservation measures went into effect on Feb. 15. In those two and a half weeks, the pumpage average has decreased to 38.8 million gallons per day (MGD), down from 40.3 MGD which was the approximate average under the Stage 1 amended restrictions. This represents a 3.7 percent decrease in daily pumpage under Stage 2 measures from the Stage 1 amended average.
The Mayor emphasized that continued vigilant conservation is necessary, as the historic exceptional drought continues its hold on most of North Carolina.
Raleigh’s water supply pool in Falls Lake is at 125 days, which projects to July 6. The next forecast for rain is for Tuesday. Despite the showers of the past week, the area remains in the grip of an historic exceptional drought.
Adding the 2007 rainfall deficit of 7.20 inches to the 3.33-inch deficit that we have measured in 2008, brings the current rain deficit to 10.53 inches for the past 14 months.
Mayor Meeker renewed the request he first made Jan. 11 to businesses and citizens to:
- Install low-flow shower heads and faucet restrictors. These devices are inexpensive and can save 30 percent of water used by showers and faucets. If your home or business does not have low-volume toilets, please place volume-reducing inserts in the tanks; and,
- Use rain barrels for watering of shrubs, flowers or vegetables. The Raleigh water system’s municipalities are offering 80-gallon and 60-gallon rain barrels for sale. In Raleigh, the barrels are available at the City’s Solid Waste Services office at 400 W. Peace St. from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Due to the very high demand, it is advisable to call 831-6890 to assure the supply of rain barrels before making the trip to the office. (To date the City of Raleigh has sold 395 80-gallon barrels, 645 60-gallon barrels, 88 do-it-yourself kits, 42 pickle barrels and 252 pickle rain barrels. This is a total of 1,422.)
To further encourage businesses to install the restrictors, the mayor said that he will ask the Raleigh City Council at its Tuesday meeting, to initiate spot inspections of businesses where the users are not paying the water bill, such as hotels, apartments, offices and health clubs to see if they have complied with the request to install low-flow devices. Mayor Meeker wants 10 to 15 of these inspections to be conducted on each type of business, starting March 10. (All apartments inspected would be vacant. The inspections would be voluntary.)
The following are the City of Raleigh water system’s Stage 2 Water Conservation Measures:
- Prohibit the use of public water for irrigation;
- Prohibit filling new swimming or wading pools. Water may be added to pools to maintain sanitary operating conditions. Filling of pools drained for repair is prohibited;
- Prohibit washing vehicles at any location, except at car-washing facilities that have been certified by the City to be in compliance with the requirements of the conservation certification program. A placard issued by the City must be displayed on the car wash facility. Also, the City may approve the washing of some vehicles for sanitary purposes (such as solid waste trucks);
- Prohibit washing of areas such as sidewalks, patios, decks, driveways, parking lots, streets and exterior building surfaces, except for soiled areas for the maintenance of public health and sanitary conditions;
- Leaking water services or plumbing will be interrupted immediately upon notification to the City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department. Water service will be restored when repairs are completed;
- Prohibit the serving of drinking water in restaurants, except upon request;
- Prohibit all non-essential use of water for commercial or public use;
- Buildings with water-cooled air conditioners or heating equipment that do not recycle City-supplied water must adjust thermostats to the highest or lowest setting available, respectively, except when the occupant’s health and safety are adversely affected;
- Require innkeepers to ask guests spending more than one night to use their towels and bed linens more than once between laundering; and,
- Direct commercial and industrial customers to review water uses and implement industry specific best management water conservation practices.
Amended Stage 1 water restrictions, which went into effect Oct. 23, resulted in a 24 percent reduction. A reduction of 39 percent has been realized since Aug. 28 when mandatory water use restrictions were implemented. A total of 418 citations, which carry a $200 fine and 22 $1,000 penalties were issued for the 25 weeks Raleigh was under Stage 1 and amended Stage 1 mandatory water use restrictions. Twelve $1,000 citations have been issued through the 17 days that the Raleigh water system has been under Stage 2 restrictions. Water service could be disrupted in the event of second offenses.
The water conservation restrictions 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.
For more information on Stage 2 water restrictions, visit the City’s website at www.raleighnc.gov or telephone the City’s Public Utilities Department at 857-4540.
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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