GSO water conservation

CITY OF GREENSBORO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                            

VOLUNTARY WATER USE REDUCTIONS REQUESTED

Stage 1 Water Conservation Alert Enacted

GREENSBORO, NC (October 4, 2005) - With recorded rainfall at nearly a foot below normal, the City of Greensboro is encouraging citizens to voluntarily reduce their water consumption. All residents and businesses are encouraged to participate to help avoid mandatory restrictions should current dry weather patterns continue. Residents are especially encouraged not to water established lawns and plants so that enough water is available for newly seeded lawns and landscapes.

Rainfall recorded for Greensboro is almost 11 inches below normal for this date.  Abnormally low rainfall has reduced flows into the reservoirs that the City uses to supply water.  Allan Williams, director of the City's Water Resources Department, notes that, due to proactive measures taken after the 2001-02 drought, the City now has many more tools to withstand a possible drought.

"We are using our pipelines to neighboring cities to reduce the amount of water taken from the lakes," he said. "In the event that the lakes are not recovering when we approach the end of the year, we now have the pipeline to the Haw River to help refill Lake Townsend. Long-term weather forecasts do predict normal rainfall; however, forecasts for the next few weeks do not show substantial likelihood of rain. Given these conditions, we feel it is prudent to request these voluntary reductions, as have several other water suppliers in the region."

The City has already begun taking steps to ensure an adequate supply of water. In September, the City increased the amount of water purchased from Reidsville to more than 4 million gallons per day (MGD) to supplement the Greensboro lake supply. Valves were also opened to flow an additional 1 to 2 million gallons per day from Winston-Salem's system. In addition, Greensboro has been buying an average of 2 MGD from Burlington, which will increase to at least 3 MGD this week.

 These supplemental purchases, coupled with voluntary restrictions, are expected to help maintain Greensboro’s supply until the start of winter precipitation.

Greensboro's Water Shortage Response Plan provides for mandatory restrictions when the water supply drops to 150 days. Currently, the City’s reservoirs have an estimated 170 days of water supply.

In the past few years, water usage for the City has remained steady while its population has increased, suggesting that citizens have adopted conservation as a way of life.

For more information about water conservation, call 373-2489.   

The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued.  As

the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect.  The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body.  For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.