Drought Continues Here in NC
Posted in Current Events by John E. Pannell on October 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pm Anyone who pays attention to the news likely knows the southeastern United States is in the midst of a severe drought. In some areas — like most of Georgia — the situation is becoming dire. This is a short update about how things are here, from someone not in the media industry or government.
Here in North Carolina the situation varies by locality. While most of the central part of the state has seen almost no significant rain since Spring different municipalities are coping with the situation in drastically different ways.
Governor Mike Easley has asked the municipalities to reduce public water usage. The Raleigh News and Observer has reported that outdoor watering is prohibited there, among other restrictions, with severe fines for those who do not comply. Meanwhile here in Burlington, we still have an adequate supply of water and have been merely asked to voluntarily cut back a bit.
Greensboro, NC has now implemented Stage IIB restrictions:
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/pressreleases/nextlevelofwaterrestrictions.htm
This is not that unusual though. As this link points out, they were at the same state (Stage IIB was called Stage III then) as recently as 1998. While the situation here is certainly severe, it is certainly something that hasn’t been experienced before. See my earlier post about the Summer of 1956 and Hurricane Hazel. As the experiences of the intervening 50 years have shown, Burlington learned the lessons of 1956 well but Greensboro did not.
As an aside, Burlington sells water to Greensboro. In order to help conserve resources for its own citizens’ use, Burlington has recently cut its sales to Greensboro by 15%.
Should Greensboro have to enter the next stage of restrictions then things become more “inconvenient”. I am told one of the restrictions might make some of the environmentalist-types cringe. It would prohibit all washing in all restaurants, except for cooking implements and food would have to be served on disposable products*.
While I don’t hope for the destruction of a hurricane, we certainly do need that type of rainfall now.
* I have not verified what the next stage of water restrictions consist of. The “paper plate” requirement sounds like an urban legend or bad reporting to me. I could think of too many organized groups that would oppose such a thing.
Update 10/5/07: Upon checking the Greensboro city code online, it turns out the ”paper plate” restriction does exist. However that is not until a “Stage 5″ water emergency, when city supplies of water fall below 50 days’ worth.
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John,
From the Environmental Health view point we call it single-service utensils, plates, and cups. It is routinely required of restaurants when they have dishwasher problems so it’s noting new to the restaurant industry. They just do not like to use single-service due to the cost.
As for just south of Burlington in my little town of Siler City, well we’ve been on mandatory water conservation for weeks now. My truck looks like crap..covered in dust from Fall Fellowship at camp a fews weeks back, the grass in the yard is dead (good for me cause I haven’t had to mow now in weeks) and there is no sign of relief in sight.
The city has broken ground recently to raise the dam of the reservoir 12 feet. It’s not going to help us for about 2 years though.
Anyone that wants to send me bottled water please feel free to do so…..Otherwise, I’ll be taking the little woman and we’ll be moving in with John