A RESOLUTION AFFIRMING, REINFORCING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE STAGE TWO WATER SHORTAGE RESTRICTIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY CHAPEL HILL MAYOR KEVIN FOY (2007-10-22/R-6.1)

WHEREAS, on August 23, 2007 the Orange Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors issued a Water Supply Advisory, and on September 27, 2007 the OWASA Board declared a Stage One Water Shortage; and

WHEREAS, as a result of the ongoing exceptional drought, OWASA reservoir levels and total water storage on-hand have continued to decline and there has been no inflow to OWASA reservoirs for more than two months; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Drought Monitor rates the ongoing drought as “Exceptional,” and the long-term weather forecast indicates that drought conditions are expected to continue into 2008; and

WHEREAS, the Cane Creek Reservoir and University Lake, which are the Carrboro-Chapel Hill-southeast Orange County community’s primary public water sources, were 51.7% full as of October 17, 2007, and recent demand has not yet achieved the Stage One Water Shortage goal of reducing demand to 8.2 million gallons per day or less; and

WHEREAS, on October 15, 2007 North Carolina Governor Mike Easley requested that local governments in the State take immediate action to achieve greater conservation due to the severe and continuing drought; and,

WHEREAS, on October 17, 2007 the Board of Directors of OWASA adopted a resolution requesting that the Town of Chapel Hill declare a Stage Two Water Shortage as authorized by Chapter 11 of the Town of Chapel Hill Code of Ordinances; and,

WHEREAS, the OWASA resolution requests the Town to supplement the Stage Two restrictions by incorporating in its declaration the current year round requirements for water conservation and additional other restrictions.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill as follows:

  1. That the water supply and demand conditions warrant the declaration of a Stage Two Water Shortage under the local Water Conservation Ordinances applicable to OWASA customers within the Town of Chapel Hill.
  2. That the Mayor of Chapel Hill has issued a proclamation of Stage Two water use restrictions as provided by the Chapel Hill Town Code with the goal of reducing overall local water demand to a level of at least 15 percent below OWASA’s pre-drought demand projections for the coming months.
  3. That the Town Council hereby reaffirms and supplements those restrictions and regulations as provided in the Proclamation issued by the Mayor to include the following:
  4. Water use by individually metered residential customer accounts and by individually metered single-family residential irrigation-only accounts shall be limited to no more than an average of 800 gallons per day during any monthly billing cycle beginning after the declaration of a Water Supply Shortage or Water Supply Emergency and ending while such restrictions are still in effect.
    1. Spray irrigation with OWASA-supplied potable water shall not be permitted, except by persons regularly engaged in the sale of plants, who shall be allowed to irrigate their commercial stock in trade.
    2. Irrigation by underground, drip irrigation, micro spray, low precipitation bubblers, soaker hose systems with automatic shutoffs, or by hand held hoses or watering cans shall be limited to a maximum of one-half inch of water applied to plant material in any given week.
    3. No OWASA-supplied potable water shall be used to re-fill ornamental fountains, ponds, and like devices.
    4. No OWASA-supplied potable water shall be used for washing vehicles, except at commercial or institutional car washes in which at least 50 percent of the water has been recycled.
    5. No OWASA-supplied potable water shall be used for filling or re-filling empty swimming pools. OWASA-supplied potable water may be used to top off operating swimming pools.
    6. No OWASA-supplied potable water shall be used for the routine cleaning or washing of exterior building surfaces, decks, or paved areas, such as sidewalks, driveways, roadways, and parking lots. This restriction shall not apply to the pressure cleaning of exterior building surfaces or decks prior to painting or re-painting that is necessary to protect or maintain the physical integrity of the structure.
    7. No OWASA-supplied potable water may be used for fire department training or equipment testing unless required by State or Federal regulations.
    8. Restaurants and dining facilities shall serve water only on request of the customer.
    9. Hotels, motels, and other facilities providing sleeping accommodations shall change bed linens only upon request of the customer, or upon customer changeover, or every five days for long-term customers.
    10. The operation of dishwashers and clothes washers only when loaded to their maximum capacity, or at water level settings appropriate for the size of the load being washed, shall be strongly encouraged.
    11. The use of ultra-low flow toilets, tank dams, flow restrictors (aerators) and low-flow showerheads, where not otherwise required, shall be strongly encouraged; and additional indoor conservation practices – as well as devices – shall also be encouraged.
    12. Plumbing systems shall be properly maintained and repaired to prevent water leaks.
    13. Indoor water leaks on property or facilities of OWASA customers must be repaired within ten (10) days of discovery and notification by OWASA.

The protection of public health, safety, and welfare may, under special circumstances, require the use of limited amounts of OWASA-supplied potable water for such purposes as washing out garbage trucks, cleaning up hazardous or other unsanitary materials, etc. Such uses shall be permitted during declared Water Shortages or Emergencies, provided that other practical alternatives are not available and water is used in the least practical amount.

In addition, no person, party, or entity shall use, cause, waste, or permit to be wasted any OWASA-supplied potable water, in violation of the standards set out herein.  Water waste is defined as the non-beneficial use of OWASA potable water. Non-beneficial uses include but are not restricted to:

  1. Landscape water applied in such a manner, rate and/or quantity that it overflows the landscaped area being watered and runs onto adjacent property or public right-of-way; or landscape water applied during periods of rainfall or when soil moisture is already adequate.
  2. The use of water for washing vehicles, equipment, or hard surfaces, such as parking lots, aprons, pads, driveways, or other surfaced areas, in such quantities to flow onto adjacent property or the public right-of-way.
  3. Water applied in sufficient quantity to cause ponding on impervious surfaces.
  4. Water lost through plumbing leaks that can be readily identified and corrected.

This 22nd day of October, 2007.