Governor Mike Easley wants us all to cut our water use in half. How are you doing it?
"Whenever you use water, cut the amount by half, whether it is taking a shower or washing the dishes," Easley said. "We all need to know whether this will be extremely difficult or easily doable."
Few water managers described Easley's request as easily doable. Having already slashed usage by about 20 percent by eliminating most outdoor watering, the next step is to head indoors where water use often isn't considered optional.
That means three-minute showers, limited washing of clothes and dishes, and strategic toilet flushing. Other possibilities: turning off the tap while shaving and brushing teeth, and collecting water in a bucket from your shower to use elsewhere.
- newsobserver.com | Easley: Cut water use by half, 10/23/07
Issues:
Comments
In response to David Beck:
In response to David Beck: Yes, the executive director of OWASA is saying 1,000 gallons per person per month is a reasonable figure to shoot for, given the drought conditions. Ed Kerwin said OWASA has been disappointed with conservation efforts so far and needs customers to do a lot more to conserve. I blogged about this a few days ago.
OWASA also plans to come up with some specific conservation goals for consumers at their board meeting Thursday, Nov. 8.
A couple of people touched on this, but my big question is ...
Why AREN'T more people conserving?
The people who are aware of the problem and are doing something about it are contributing to this blog. I would be interested to hear some perspectives from those who aren't doing much.
It is not the residents that
It is not the residents that are the problem in this drought, is is the businesses.
I got an email back from Owasa regarding the demand for those who get charged seasonal rates (Business) and those who get charged Block rates (residential). I would like to say that I am supprised but I am too jaded. :^)
36% of our water demand is from individually-metered residences which pay increasing block water rates.
The other 64% of our demand is from businesses, institutions and multi-family mastered metered multi-family accounts, for which seasonal conservation rates are charged.
And here are the rates:
For Residential:
Block 1 1 – 2,999 gallons per month $1.98 per 1,000 gallons
Block 2 3,000 – 5,999 gallons per month $4.70 per 1,000 gallons
Block 3 6,000 – 10,999 gallons per month $5.53 per 1,000 gallons
Block 4 11,000 – 15,999 gallons per month $7.46 per 1,000 gallons
For Seasonal:
Off-peak rate per 1,000 gallons (October through April) $3.08
Peak seasonal rate per 1,000 gallons (May through September) $5.85
Not only do the new rates not effect the major draw of water from the reservoirs but it unfairly taxes the poor since they are charged a higher pecent of their income for water.
Am I missing something or is this just government favoring business even in the face of environmental hardship? Shouldn't all the fanfare on how to save water at home be redirected to how to save water at businesses? Well, yeah, they don't serve water except by request, but have you ever seen the back of the house? The inefficent washing, the inefficient thawing of food under a running stream of water.
I still find it amazing that the price of a cup of coffee at Open Eye and at Weaver Street is still the same.
Y'all might want to check out the US Governments drought portal to see why we need to change this policy:
http://www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=268&parentname=Co...
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