NEWS RELEASE

September 28, 2007

On Thursday night, September 27th, the OWASA Board of Directors declared a Stage One Water Shortage with the goal of reducing the community’s current water demand by at least 10%. OWASA serves the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community.

The extended dry weather has resulted in steady declines in OWASA’s reservoir levels, and there has been essentially no water flow since early August in the creeks and streams that drain to the Cane Creek Reservoir and University Lake.  OWASA’s reservoirs are about 58% full as of this morning, down from 81% on July 28th and 69% on August 28th.  

Due to the unusually hot and dry weather conditions, local drinking water demand in the last month has averaged about 11 million gallons per day (MGD), compared to previously projected demand of about 9.6 MGD for September.

The Stage One water use restrictions listed below will become effective when the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill and Orange County issue formal proclamations in accord with their water conservation ordinances for OWASA customers.  OWASA will ask the local governments today to issue the proclamations.

“We need to take a prudent, cautious approach to managing OWASA's water supply based on current  reservoir levels, inflow to the reservoirs, water supply demand and weather forecasts,” said Randy Kabrick, P.E., Chair of the OWASA Board.  “If the drought continues through the winter, the conservation measures we implement now will serve us well in the future.”

STAGE ONE WATER USE RESTRICTIONS FOR OWASA CUSTOMERS

• Spray irrigation is limited to one day per week, and is allowed only before 9:00 AM and after 8:00 PM.  Irrigation is limited to 1/2 inch per week.  At even-numbered addresses, spray irrigation is allowed only on Tuesdays; at odd-numbered addresses, only on Thursdays.  These restrictions do not apply to watering of containerized plants and commercial plant stock in trade.
• Spray irrigation is defined as “The application of water to landscaping by means of a device that projects water through the air in the form of small particles or droplets.”
• You can measure irrigation with a small container such as a tuna can.  If you have an irrigation system, you may wish to have the control system adjusted by a company that installs or maintains irrigation systems.
• Spray irrigation systems are required to have automatic timer systems and rain or soil moisture sensors, and hoses for outdoor use are required to have automatic-shut-offs.
• Water waste is prohibited.  Water waste includes using so much water that it runs onto adjacent properties or street rights-of-way or causes ponding on impervious surfaces; failing to fix leaks; and irrigation during rainfall or when soil moisture is already adequate.
• Water use by individually metered residential customer accounts and by individually- metered single family residential irrigation-only accounts is limited to an average of one thousand (1,000) gallons per day during any monthly billing cycle.  OWASA may terminate service if this limit is exceeded.
• The previous exemption for watering new plants, sod, seeding and reseeding of lawns is no longer in effect.
• Watering with a hand-held hose or watering can or with underground, drip irrigation, micro spray, soaker hose or low precipitation “bubbler” watering systems is allowed on any day of the week and at any time of day, but is limited to the maximum of one-half inch of water applied in any given week.
• No OWASA water may be used to re-fill ornamental fountains, ponds, and like devices.
• No OWASA water may be used for routine cleaning or washing of paved areas such as sidewalks, decks, driveways, roadways, or parking lots.
• Hotels, motels, etc. shall change bed linens only upon request of the customer, upon customer changeover or every five days for long-term customers.
• Restaurants shall serve water only upon request.
• The use of low-flush toilets and low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators is strongly encouraged where they are not already in place as required by current plumbing codes.
• The use of rain barrels, cisterns, etc. to store rainwater for irrigation and other suitable purposes is strongly encouraged.  Rain barrels are available at some retail outlets and local Boy Scout Troop #39 (telephone: 942-4830).
• Dishwashers and clothes washers should be used only with full loads or with water level settings appropriate for the load size.

OWASA encourages customers to contact OWASA for information about ways to conserve water, or to report actual or possible occurrences of water leaks, water waste or water use that is not consistent with the Stage One mandatory conservation measures.

SURCHARGES TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER FOR HIGH RESIDENTIAL WATER USE (11,000 OR MORE GALLONS PER MONTH)

In addition to declaring the Stage One Water Shortage, the OWASA Board decided that surcharges for high residential water use will go into effect on November 1st as provided in OWASA’s schedule of rates and fees.

On October 1st as previously announced, OWASA’s new rates will include increasing block water rates for individually-metered residential customers:

(The typical residential OWASA customer uses about 6,000 gallons per month; water use over 10,000 gallons per month is very likely for outdoor purposes such as irrigation.)

Based on the Board’s decision to implement the Stage One Water Shortage water rate surcharges on November 1st, the block 4 water rate will increase to $11.19 per 1,000 gallons and the block 5 water rate will increase to $26.10 per 1,000 gallons.  The surcharges are intended to strongly discourage high water use by residential customers.

During a Stage One Water Shortage, there are no surcharges on water rate blocks 1 through 3 and there are no surcharges for non-residential and multi-family master-metered customers, who will pay seasonal water conservation rates rather than block rates.  Additional and higher surcharges would apply if more severe water shortage conditions are declared.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Ms. Paula Thomas, Sustainability Administrator
Telephone: 537-4230; E-mail: pthomas@owasa.org     

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

Kevin M. Ray, Director of Finance and Customer Service
Telephone: 537-4236; E-mail: kray@owasa.org

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