Gov. Easley asks officials to keep up aggressive water conservation measures

April 9, 2008

Gov. Mike Easley is asking local officials to continue their aggressive water conservation efforts since the drought is not over and a hot, dry summer is still possible. He made the request in a letter sent to mayors and city and county managers.

Click here for the rest of the news release.

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Gov. Easley announces plan to modernize water systems, mandate conservation and upgrad emergency response for drought

March 11, 2008

Gov. Mike Easley today announced a three-part legislative package to modernize North Carolina's public water systems, mandate water conservation and efficiency, and upgrade the response to water emergencies. The governor also unveiled a new website, SaveWaterNC.org, aimed at continued water conservation.

 

''This legislation will help North Carolina's public water systems improve their services to customers and be better prepared to deal with future droughts, but we also need to change our attitude about using water in North Carolina,'' said Easley.

Click here for the rest of the news release.

 

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Progress: 39 counties in exceptional drought

March 6, 2008

Recent rains have helped lower the number of North Carolina counties suffering under "exceptional" drought conditions. Thirty-nine counties were in that designation, as of March 4 numbers. One month ago, on February 7, the number of counties under exceptional drought conditions was 67. The flip side is that as of March 4, 32 counties are under "extreme" conditions -- an increase from 25 the month before. Twenty-three counties are in the "severe" category -- up from eight in early February.

Click here to see the latest statewide drought conditions.

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Gov. Easley announces alternative water supplies for 11 communities hardest hit by drought

February 8, 2008

Gov. Mike Easley announced today that the state has identified alternative water supplies for the 11 North Carolina communities facing the most severe water shortages due to the drought. Most of the projects would involve connecting systems that are at the greatest risk to another water system with water to share. Other systems could drill new wells or tap into nearby lakes, rivers or quarries.

“These 11 communities are the ones most likely to run out of water if the drought continues into the spring and summer,” said Easley. “We helped them identify other water sources and now we are working with them to find the money to hook up so they will have enough water for the summer and beyond.” ...

 

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State prepares for prolonged drought

Fayetteville Observer

January 23, 2008

"State agencies that provide planning assistance and money to public water systems are preparing for the worst in 2008 --a prolonged drought.

"After 2007 became the driest year in state history, many parts of North Carolina were a foot or more below normal rainfall heading into the new year. With state climatologists predicting a dry winter and spring, a drought this summer is a major concern.

" 'It was easy to have a conversation about the drought last year,' said Billy Ray Hall, president of the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center. 'But when Raleigh runs out of water, that's when you have a really serious conversation. I'm praying for rain.' ..."

Click here for the rest of the story.

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Gov. Easley asks worst hit water systems to take action now to ensure water will be available for the future

January 14, 2008

Gov. Mike Easley today told water system managers from the state's 30 most vulnerable communities they need to take certain actions now to make sure they will have adequate water supplies for their citizens during the long, hot summer if North Carolina's historic drought continues. ...

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The Worth of Water

January 8, 2008

Winston-Salem Journal

"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. ..."

Click here to read the rest of the editorial.

 

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Gov. Easley: Water conservation pricing structures should be considered

December 20, 2007

Gov. Mike Easley stated that because of the ongoing drought, water customers may need to pay more for the water they use, and that it is every citizen's patriotic duty to try to conserve water during this time.

"We are anticipating a very dry winter, and so far it has gone in that direction," Easley told members of the Drought Advisory Council and guests in Raleigh.

"Parents, talk to your children. … They have a patriotic duty to make sure that they keep their state healthy and safe and you cannot do that without a good water supply."

Click here for the rest of the story.

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Drought continues to worsen

December 6, 2007

The N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council released an updated N.C. Drought Advisory on December 6, 2007, based on statewide conditions as of December 4. An alarming 71 of North Carolina 's counties are experiencing exceptional drought conditions, the worst form of drought. (By comparison, that number was 55 just a month ago.) Another 14 are currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, meaning 85 of the state's 100 counties are in the midst of one of the two worst levels of drought. The remaining 15 counties are suffering an extreme drought, the third worst level, meaning every county in the state is affected by the lack of rain.

 

With little or no rain projected, some municipalities are taking unprecedented steps. Raleigh, for instance, is exploring (as of press time) Stage 2 water restrictions, which would close car washes that don't meet city requirements and ban pressure washing, the filling of new swimming pools, and all remaining irrigation. And if things don't improve?

“We're looking ahead at what Stage 3 would look like -- even though we don't have a Stage 3 now," Raleigh Utilities Director Dale Crisp told the News & Observer . "It's basically everything we haven't considered yet."

 

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As worst drought on record continues, cities and towns push water conservation

November 26, 2007

It's official: North Carolina is suffering through the worst drought on record.

Water supplies continue to inch toward record lows statewide because of a significant lack of rainfall this year. To combat this, Gov. Mike Easley stressed to municipal officials the need to cut water use by 50 percent, despite the tough choices and hard work of many communities across the state. That means eliminating yard irrigation, washing cars or any other non-essential water use.

Click here to read the rest.

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Gov. Easley releases local data on N.C. water use

November 8, 2007
Gov. Mike Easley announced today that water utilities representing 72 percent of the 6.8 million customers served by public water systems responded to his call to provide information on water use. Early indications, based on an analysis of information from the 25 largest systems in the state, show an average drop in daily water use of nearly 30 percent from the month of August compared to the last week of October.

Click here to read the rest.