OWASA - Press Release

NEWS RELEASE

Friday, June 1, 2007

OWASA THANKS AND REMINDS CUSTOMERS TO CONSERVE WATER AS DRY WEATHER CONTINUES

OWASA officials expressed appreciation Friday to thousands of OWASA customers who are continuing to practice wise water use in 2007. OWASA serves the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dry weather is normally associated with higher water demand, but OWASA customers’ water use averaged only 9.0 million gallons per day (mgd) in May, which is slightly higher than the 8.6 mgd average for the past 12 months. The highest single-day demand during May was 10.4 mgd, which is well below OWASA’s record of 14.1 million gallons of water use on June 9, 1999. The peak day demand so far in 2007 was 10.4 mgd on May 30th. Maximum day demands in recent years were 11.5 mgd in 2006, 12.0 mgd in 2005, and 11.5 mgd in 2004.

Noting that its reservoirs are 95% full as of Thursday morning, OWASA officials said that customers should continue following the year-round water conservation requirements that went into effect in 2003.

The water conservation requirements, which are summarized below, were proposed by OWASA and adopted by the Chapel Hill Town Council, Carrboro Board of Aldermen and Orange County Board of Commissioners following OWASA’s evaluation of local conservation requirements based on experience in the record drought of 2001-02.

Summary of year-round water conservation requirements for OWASA customers

Conventional spray irrigation is limited to three days per week. For odd-numbered addresses, spray irrigation is allowed on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; for even addresses, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Spray irrigation is allowed before 9:00 AM and after 8:00 PM. (Daytime irrigation involves significant water loss due to evaporation.)
Outdoor water use for lawn and garden watering is limited to a maximum of one inch per week.

Watering by hand and with soaker hoses, bubbler systems and certain other methods involving limited evaporation is allowed at any time of day and on any day of the week, but the limit of one inch per week applies.
Existing and new irrigation systems must have automatic controllers and a rain or soil moisture sensor to prevent watering during rainfall or when there is sufficient moisture in the ground for plant health and survival.

Hoses for outdoor use must have automatic shut-off nozzles.
Restaurants and other dining facilities may serve water only if requested by a customer.

Hotels, motels, etc. shall change bed linens only upon request of the customer, upon customer changeover or every five days for long-term guests.
If OWASA notifies a customer that there is a leak in the customer’s water supply line, irrigation or plumbing system, etc., the customer must fix the leak within 10 days of receiving the notice.

Water waste is prohibited. Water waste includes using so much water that it runs onto adjacent properties or street right-of-way or causes ponding on impervious surfaces; failing to fix a leak that is easily repairable; and irrigation during rainfall or when soil moisture is already adequate.

These standards and related conservation information are posted in the Water Conservation Section of the OWASA Website, www.owasa.org. A Spanish version is also available.

For more information:

Ed Kerwin, Executive Director
Telephone: 537-4211; E-mail: ekerwin@owasa.org

Ed Holland, Planning Director
Telephone: 537-4215; E-mail: eholland@owasa.org

Patrick Davis, Utility Manager
Telephone: 537-4210; E-mail: pdavis@owasa.org

WATER CONSERVATION: part of our community’s SUSTAINABLE quality of life!

400 JONES FERRY ROAD, CARRBORO, NC 27510
PHONE: (919) 968-4421; FAX: (919) 968-4464
E-MAIL: WEBMASTER@OWASA.ORG

OWASA is the public, non-profit water and sewer agency
serving the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community.