North Carolina's Governor Easley encourages permanent water fix

The latest water crisis plea from North Carolina's Governor Easley is for NC towns and cities to solve water problems now before it is too late. Numerous pleas have been made during the worst drought in the state's history for everyone to take the new trend seriously and reduce water consumption. Neglecting this problem will result in water shortages at least throughout 2008 and probably well beyond since rainfall has not replenished regional water supplies and unchecked growth continues to place more strain on available resources.

A variety of ideas on reducing water consumption have been suggested ranging from simply cutting back on water use to reducing or eliminating lawn watering to using rain barrels to capture rain water for outside watering. Changing shower heads to low-flow ones and eliminating small leaks in sinks and toilets will help reduce consumption and reduce water bills.

Another simple step everyone should take is to make a quick check for leaks in water pipe systems. A small leak will waste a substantial amount of water and can greatly increase water and sewer bills. We recently noticed that our water bill had not decreased in the four months following the end of summer garden watering and discovered our bill had doubled and was growing. After opening the cover to our water meter box we discovered that even with everything turned off inside the house the water meter dial was still turning! This is a definite indication of a leak in the pipe system. After crawling under the house and checking all the pipes and joints we knew there were no leaks and no water seeping from areas where pipes were out of view. This was an immediate indication that the underground pipe from the house to the water meter had begun leaking. The underground pipe is now being replaced and we expect it to cut our water bill by at least one half.

Read more about the urgency of finding solutions for the water crisis and reducing consumption...

News 14 Carolina
Updated: 01/14/2008 08:05 PM
By: News 14 Carolina Web Staff

Easley calls for 'permanent' water fix

GUILFORD COUNTY -- Gov. Mike Easley called on North Carolina towns and cities to attack the state's water problems now before it becomes too late.

"Let's make this a permanent fix," Easley said. "Think in terms of, 'How do we fix this this year that fixes the problem for any drought that we might see in the future, any drought weather that we might see in the future.'"

Easley outlined three things he said would get the state started in the right direction. He said towns need to make sure they tap into additional water resources now. He promised that if those towns need extra monies, he would do all he could to make sure they got them.

"The state has $8 million in low-interest loans available for cities to create backup supplies," added Easley.

Water audits were also a big part of the governor's plan. He said as much as 25 percent of the water North Carolina uses every day is lost because of leaks in pipes. He said that number is unacceptable and called for water audits across the state to find and fix the leaks.

Finally, Easley said it's important for towns and cities to move to water conservation rates. A lot of times, these are tiered rate structures that charge the customers that use the most water more per gallon.

"Mayor Meeker in Raleigh suggested this, and he came out with a plan. The City Council is studying that. He was met with some resistance, there's no doubt about that," Easley continued. "But if you think people are upset when you hit them with conservation rates, they're going to be really upset when they run out of water."

Easley also called on residents to do their part to conserve. He said everyone can easily do water audits on their own homes to make sure they aren't losing water.

"Check your homes. If you turn off your water spigots, go outside and check your water meters," said Easley. "If it's running, you've got a leak somewhere."

"It's a nice time to practice conservation, before you really have to do it, added Joe Hudson, with Statesville Water Resources. "I would advise people to look around and see how they use water, and see if they can cut back."

Officials also warn that water will probably not be available next summer for typical outdoor uses like lawn irrigation

"You should not even think about reseeding or sodding your lawn," said Raleigh Utilities Director Dale Crisp.

The workshop was held at the Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department. When they answer a call, they have to use water, but at the station, they conserve like most residents.

"Just like everyone else, we try to be good stewards and not use any more water than we have to," said fire Chief Tim Fitts.

They're only washing fire trucks when it's really needed, and they've installed low-flow shower heads, one of the changes officials are proposing North Carolinians make by March 1.

Easley said if North Carolinians can conserve between 25 percent and 30 percent and all the water leaks are sured up, the state will easily conserve 50 percent of the water that is currently used.

"It keeps it in people's minds that we have to change the way that we think about water," said Easley. "It's not as plentiful as it always was. We have the same amount of water as we've always had but a lot more people in the state."

Currently, all of North Carolina's counties are facing a drought, and 69 counties are in the most severe drought level. Original source...

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How much is your water worth

How much is your water supply worth to you?

Residents of North Carolina will no doubt be debating this new issue in for years to come as weather conditions and severe drought become a significant factor in the area. Water availability must be considered when planning new development and will be a major issue as the state's population continues to grow. Even the cost of water has become a raging debate as municipalities consider raising water rates in the wake of poor results to encourage conservation and stop wasteful watering practices.

Western states live with these problems in every day life since water resources are limited and citizens deal with problems locating new sources and sharing existing supplies. A couple of years ago while visiting in Colorado the scarcity of water was clearly demonstrated at an area horse farm north of Fort Collins. The residents of a small ranch for rescued horses made frequent trips to a neighbor's ranch pick up water from a deep well using a large tank mounted on a trailer to provide water for horses and people on the site. North Carolina residents have not reached this point so far but are beginning to plan for capture of alternative water in rain barrels to use for outside watering and other purposes beyond health and living needs. This will become a routine consideration going forwards to continue providing water for many neighborhood activities such as gardening, landscaping and washing cars. Our primary water supply may have reached a point where water will not be available for these activities unless new methods are added to our lifestyles.

Read the commentary about new problems with available water supplies and efforts to provide solutions for our future...

Winston-Salem Journal

Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Opinion article

The worth of water

North Carolina has not typically worried about water shortages, except for the occasional drought. But water won’t be as plentiful in the future, and North Carolinians will soon be required to adopt the kind of conservation that other Americans consider a fact of life.

Unfortunately, North Carolinians might also become accustomed to the intra-community struggles that Westerners regularly encounter as they search for new sources of water and try to preserve their traditional supplies.

Changing weather patterns may, or may not, lead to reduced rainfall in North Carolina. The more certain strain on our water resources, however, will come from the explosion of the state’s population. We’ve just gone over the 9 million mark, and there are no signs that this growth will end any time soon. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population will hit 12 million in less than 25 years.

The more people who come here, the more water we’ll need to meet their needs.

But as North Carolina water systems search for new sources to quench their customers’ needs, they’ll encounter resistance, whether it comes from folks downstream or from those who don’t want their lakes and reservoirs tapped by outsiders.

Questions of interbasin transfers and riparian rights may soon become as much of the public-affairs lexicon as terms associated with taxes, pollution and traffic are today.

To its credit, the N.C. Environmental Review Commission has started a yearlong study of state water policies and supplies. The commission, which is a legislative advisory panel, wants to hear from the public in the process.

The need for such studies is new to the Southeast, but it is not unique to North Carolina right now. Both South Carolina and Georgia are suffering from the same drought that grips us, and their leaders are also searching for solutions.

While the states will, no doubt, cooperate in some ways, they will also compete for what is a finite resource. South Carolina has already sued to stop a plan to divert 10 million gallons of water from the Catawba and Yadkin rivers to the growing towns of Kannapolis and Concord.

In the short term, ordinary North Carolinians can do their best to conserve water, both by adapting more efficient practices and by installing water-saving devices. As time goes on, we might all have to become more aware of the many issues involved in water rights so that we can make the best decisions for our community.

When it comes to water, things are changing, and we must prepare for that new reality.

Raising water rates considered for NC

As the severe drought continues in North Carolina, a proposal is being considered to raise water rates for some areas to encourage more conservation. No doubt Raleigh's Mayor Meeker and those considering this idea can afford to pay higher rates and have the means that this would not be a significant burden added to their living expenses.

A problem comes about if yet another cost increase is added to the expenses of a large portion of the population with lower incomes or living on a fixed income after retirement and feel the impact of every increase that comes along. Yes, a rate hike during times when the water supply is decreasing should encourage greater conservation but there is no evidence this will actually produce the desired results of a substantial decrease in overall water consumption in the region. It is more likely this will become a way to squeeze more money out of the general population and add to the revenues of the municipalities that impose the increase.

A more realistic approach would be to penalize those that continue to water grass for the sake of having a green lawn and continue to use excessive amounts of water beyond what is needed for health and living purposes and reasonable watering needs. Some local homeowner associations are threatening homeowners and reported to be fining them when they don't water lawns and keep them green. To date fines for watering during dry conditions are for the most part not being given out. Sprinklers are routinely seen spreading water on grass and plants around shopping centers, institutional sites and large homes in wealthy neighborhoods.

It is a known fact that lawns simply go dormant when not watered and will return to a green state when enough natural water is available. Cars do not need to be washed during dry times and yet there are lots of pricey automobiles seen along roads every day that have obviously been washed. Let's devise a plan that will actually reduce water consumption in these and other situations that can make a dent in water consumption and let our citizens have water at a reasonable rate without gouging them on top of other cost increases already forced on them.

NBC17 Online
January 17, 2008
By - Ken Luallen

Raleigh City Council to discuss water rate increase

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Raleigh's mayor turned water conservation into a financial issue Monday, unveiling a proposed 50 percent increase in the price of water sold to the city's customers. The City Council plans to discuss the matter today.

"If the crisis gets much worse I think we are all bound to suck it up," Poole said. He is a homeowner willing to accept the higher fees if it ensures Raleigh's water supply will last beyond its current 120 day mark.

Mayor Charles Meeker proposed the rate increase as a way to prepare the city for a potentially dry summer with less than half its normal water supply in Falls Lake. For a typical home with moderate to heavy water use, the current bill for 6,000 gallons used per month is $356.14. Under Meeker's proposal that would increase to $535.76 per month, about $15 more per month.

"What this is designed to do... is to get practices in place that will get us through this summer and through next fall by reducing our amount of consumption so we're where we want to be come May first when the warm weather starts," Meeker said.

Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen believes citizens can easily absorb the higher cost.

"If you look at our water and sewer bills they're not significant components of people's budgets so this percentage with a reduction really should not have large impacts on a household budget," Allen said.

City Council must first approve the proposal, which would take effect March 1 and appear on customers' bills May 1. Meeker said the surcharge could be avoided if it rains significantly before March 1. The surcharge could be lessened or removed by City Council if the drought eases during the summer.

Meeker also called on all citizens to install low flow shower and faucet heads as well as outdoor rain barrels to ease the burden of the proposed higher water cost.

Cary-based Lowe's Home Improvement salesman Jemitrus Harris said the cost of new shower heads should be seen as an investment.

"You're looking at $35 per bathroom and that pays for itself over time," Harris said.

Raleigh City Council is expected to be presented with Meeker's plan at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday afternoon. Read viewer responses online...