In keeping with the worsening drought and North Carolina Governor Mike Easley's call to cut water use by half, Greenville Utilities has enacted the first stage of its Water Emergency Management Plan, effective December 11, 2007. GUC’s Water Emergency Management Plan includes three stages of water use restrictions ranging from voluntary to mandatory.  Stage 1 advises voluntary water restrictions; stages 2 and 3 enforce mandatory restrictions.

Stage 1 of GUC’s Water Emergency Management Plan is a Water Conservation Alert. During a declared Stage 1 Alert, the following voluntary water conservation practices are encouraged:

• Inspect and repair all faulty and defective parts of faucets and toilets
• Use shower for bathing rather than bathtub and limit shower to no more than 5 minutes.
• Do not leave faucets running while shaving, brushing teeth, rinsing or preparing food.
• Limit the use of clothes washers and dishwashers and when used, operate fully loaded.  Operate dishwashers after the peak demand hours of 6 to 10 p.m.
• Limit lawn watering to that necessary for plant survival.  Water lawns before the peak demand hours of 6 to 10 a.m.
• Water shrubbery the minimum required.  Water shrubbery before the peak demand hours of 6 to 10 a.m.
• Limit vehicle washing.
• Do not wash down outside areas such as sidewalks, driveways, patios, etc.
• Install water saving showerheads and other devices.
• Use disposable and biodegradable dishes where possible.
• Install water saving devices in toilets such as early closing flappers.
• Limit hours of water-cooled air conditioners.
• Do not fill swimming or wading pools.

“The state is in the grip of one of the worst droughts ever recorded,” said Ron Elks, GUC’s General Manager/CEO. “Although availability of water and treatment capacity has not been a problem for GUC thus far, we don’t know what challenges the future may hold. In light of the worsening drought, it is appropriate for GUC to formally declare a Stage 1 Water Conservation Alert and advise customers to voluntarily conserve. A prolonged drought is a disaster by any measure, but unlike a hurricane or flood, it’s not a short-term event. Essentially, GUC is alerting customers to prepare for a long-term situation.”

GUC’s Stage 1 Alert also reinforces the fact that conservation has a positive impact," Elks continued. “We can’t make it rain, but we can have an impact through conservation,” he said. “By conserving, and thus decreasing demand, we reduce the amount of water we need from the river. Conservation also helps customers reduce their bill and increases awareness of the amount of resources we use.”

A combination of geographical location and an adequate surface water supply has worked in GUC’s favor and allowed the utility to meet customers’ needs without interruption so far. However, officials are keeping a close eye on decreasing river levels and the proximity of the salt water interface or “salt wedge” to the Water Treatment Plant. “During a drought, when there’s less fresh water moving down the river, saltwater from the Pamlico Sound can move up the river,” said Elks. “This is referred to as a “salt wedge, and under normal weather conditions, it is located about 25 miles from our treatment plant. In the absence of rain, the salt wedge has been moving closer and is currently about 13 miles from the plant. Only highly specialized treatment processes specifically designed to remove salt can effectively be used in salt water environments.”

“As a utility provider, service to our customers is first and foremost in our minds and we’re working on a number of contingency plans to conserve that pool of fresh water that’s available between us and the salt water to the degree that we can,” Elks continued. “We’re also encouraging conservation measures to reduce the amount of water we need to take from the river to meet customer demand.”

Want To Learn More?
Call GUC’s Energy Services Office at 551-1525 and check out these links: 
Click here for more ways to save water.
Click here to watch GUC's recent appearance on GTV's cityscene.
The “Water Conservation Tips” link on the Governor's website.
DPPEA (North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance)
Water Use It Wisely