Environmental Programs: Water Conservation
The City of Raleigh strongly encourages conservation of its finished water. The City’s Water Conservation Task Force (WCTF) reviewed the City’s water conservation plan and developed recommendations to improve the plan based on experiences gained from the 2002 and 2005 droughts. The task force produced a water conservation recommendation that requires alternate-day irrigation throughout the year, and Stages 1 and 2 water conservation rules to be implemented by the City as needed during a drought or other water supply shortages. The WCTF presented its final report and recommendations to the City Council in May 2006. The recommendations were approved and adopted as a City ordinance. The water conservation rules apply to customers in Raleigh and in the towns that receive water from the Capital City: Garner, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon.
During the period from August 2007 to March 2008, Raleigh and other parts of the Triangle were in an exceptional drought, the worst drought category status. To conserve water, City Manager J. Russell Allen authorized implementation of the City’s Stage 1 water restrictions on Aug. 28, 2007. Stage 1 restrictions generally provide for designated irrigation one day per week for those using automatic or non-automatic irrigation systems and garden hose attached sprinklers. Water customers may water on two designated days a week if they are physically holding a garden hose. During the eight-week period the City was under the Stage 1 rules, water use dropped by 19 percent.
As the drought conditions continued, the City Council approved amended Stage 1 water restrictions to go into effect on Oct. 23, 2007. These rules prohibited lawn and landscape irrigation except by hand held hose or low volume drip irrigation. Customers also could not wash their vehicles except at commercial car wash facilities. Furthermore, the City stopped issuing permits that allowed for the watering of new lawns for 45 days. As a result of the amended Stage 1 water rules, water use dropped by 24 percent in the Raleigh service area.
Still the drought worsened, prompting the City Council to impose Stage 2 water restrictions effective Feb. 15. These restrictions prohibit the use of public water for irrigation, among other things.
On April 5 of this year, Falls Lake refilled to the full pool elevation of 251.50 feet because of rain events. This brought the water supply volume to 100 percent. Two days later on April 7, the City returned to the Stage 1 water restrictions.
When combined, all of the mandatory water use restrictions – Stage 1, amended Stage 1 and Stage 2 – resulted in a 42 percent reduction in water use when they were in place.
Here are some other water conservation practices under taken by the City of Raleigh as a result of the drought:
- The City installed low-flow water devices in restrooms at municipal government buildings;
- The City purchased 5,000 low flow shower heads and faucet aerators for citizens with low and moderate incomes. The city has encouraged all residents and businesses to install the devices;
- The City installed rain barrels at various city government locations to capture runoff from building roofs. The runoff is used to irrigate landscape areas. The city is selling rain barrels to citizens and encouraging their use;
- In an experiment that has proven to be a success, the City Fire Department’s Fire Station No. 8 on Western Boulevard is using 250-gallon rain barrels to capture runoff that is used to wash fire vehicles. The practice is planned to be instituted at other fire stations in the city; and,
- The City indefinitely suspended hose washing and power washing of hard surfaces except to maintain sanitary conditions.
| Please use Raleigh's water wisely! |
Use water flow devices, take shorter showers or use less water in tub.
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Keep fescue grass 3-5 inches long. Grass this length requires less water and mowing.
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Use water saving devices or install a water saving type toilet.
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Do not leave faucets running while shaving, brushing your teeth or rinsing dishes.
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Water for irrigation in the early morning or late evening hours when grass withers.
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Wash only full loads in clothes washers or dishwashers.
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For More Information Contact:
Ed Buchan
Water Conservation Specialist
Public Utilities Department
P.O. Box 590
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-857-4540
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