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are you taking the drought seriously? wral’s david crabtree wants to know
Published Oct 15, 2007Views: 2410
Gov. Mike Easley has called for further cutbacks in water consumption by every North Carolina resident to conserve limited water supplies that, he said, will likely continue to shrink in the coming months. He stopped short of declaring an emergency but said that could happen if people don’t begin to be serious about water conservation.
We want to hear from you. Have you cut back water usage? If so, how? If not, why?
Would you seriously consider shorter showers? Have you thought of buying a rain barrel? Shaving with a minimum of water? Brushing your teeth with a minimum of water?
Should well water, from the water table, be banned from irrigating lawns? How concerned are you that water could be rationed by spring?
David used many of your comments in a story he produced over the weekend. Thank you for your feedback.
Filed under: Human Interest
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February 1, 2008 7:19 a.m.
GOLO member since August 28, 2007
February 5, 2008 4:15 p.m.
Flush twice every time!!!
February 6, 2008 8:33 a.m.
GOLO member since July 8, 2007
February 11, 2008 8:50 a.m.
The local officials better start figuring out a way to dig a bigger hole in Falls Lake, siphoning water from Kerr Lake or putting a stop to new home building. But enough with this drought mumbo-jumbo, it's getting old.
FYI, Phoenix (6th largest metropolis in US) has an average anual rainfall of 8.4 inches. Some 26 inches less or 6% that of Raleigh's over the last 12 months.
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
February 12, 2008 10:18 p.m.
tbourdon is exactly right; our city officials, present and past, have failed miserably at managing growth effectively. THAT IS THE ONLY PROBLEM HERE!!!!
Falls Lake is a pond when one looks at the demand placed upon it...this is not rocket science...the population grows and grows and grows without control...Falls Lake remains the same.
It is time our city officials do some serious analysis on future growth predictions and couple that very closely with an assessment of just how much water is needed. THEN, ACT ON IT.
Stop with the drought rhetoric and make some smart decisions!!!
February 13, 2008 10:24 a.m.
I think this would also help the school system with it's explosive growth. No new houses = no fewer new students?
Two problems solved at the same time.
February 13, 2008 2:54 p.m.
February 13, 2008 3:04 p.m.
February 14, 2008 9:34 a.m.
February 15, 2008 12:52 p.m.
February 16, 2008 7:47 a.m.
GOLO member since September 1, 2007
February 16, 2008 5:04 p.m.
I wonder how willing the folks moving into the Soleil center will be in conserving...money talks in Raleigh...above all else.
Raleigh's mayor and city council should be tarred and feathered. Period.
February 18, 2008 9:26 a.m.
February 19, 2008 12:27 p.m.
February 19, 2008 12:31 p.m.
Maybe that's the kicker. Logic. It's not until our city officials begin applying some that we will get out of this water mess that we're in. Instead of bulldozing acres and acres and acres of forest to build new homes, offices, strip malls,etc., our illustrious city officials should be deepening the lake in anticipation of future demand.
Logic. The city of Raleigh officials show no inclination of understanding its value. Effective city managers have foresight and plan accordingly. Raleigh's simply react.
Logic. Please, someone explain the concept to them.
February 21, 2008 10:05 a.m.
February 23, 2008 7:31 p.m.
February 23, 2008 9:59 p.m.
Also look at the lake levels. As of today, two of the three major lakes in the area are ABOVE normal levels.
Then the water department says to buy rain barrels (hopefully from your local water department). Doesn't holding water in rain barrels take water away from the water table and lake levels? Maybe the local government just can't think beyond one step at a time.
Then the water saving groups seems to be down on using well water. Why? The water table wells draws from is much larger than any lake. Could it be that the government is just afraid of losing the money from residents?
February 25, 2008 7:47 a.m.
February 25, 2008 2:33 p.m.
February 25, 2008 3:22 p.m.
GOLO member since July 27, 2007
February 26, 2008 7:54 a.m.
They are the ones, in part, who got us into this mess. They should be held accountable.
February 26, 2008 8:35 a.m.
Device 1. Replace the toilet flapper if it is over 2 years old. 2. Toilet displacement devices, including bags or bottles 3. Dual flush adapters allow users to use a standard flush for solids removal or a modified smaller flush for liquid and paper 4. Low-flow shower head or a flow reduction valve behind the shower head 5. Use low flow aerators, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 gpm, in the bathroom and 2.5 gpm for more general washing purposes 6. Fix leaks 7. Install water barrels and use the water to flush the toilet or watering
March 2, 2008 10:23 p.m.
March 2, 2008 10:28 p.m.
"Water flow in the Neuse River is about twice the target level, Meeker said, so cutting releases from Falls Lake won't have an immediate impact downstream."
I think to myself: Why wasn't this done earlier. Falls lake seems to be the only lake with a major problem with its level. Jordon and Kerr are actually above normal. Why has Raleigh been dumping so much water downstream while asking its residents to "let it mellow" or "shave with your teeth brushing water"?
March 3, 2008 1:03 p.m.
Isn't that, after all, what our Raleigh officials have counted on for years as their water management solution????
March 3, 2008 2:28 p.m.
GOLO member since March 3, 2008
March 3, 2008 5:31 p.m.
Low-flow devices...yeah, those will solve the problem. Please.
March 4, 2008 2:49 p.m.
March 4, 2008 6:10 p.m.
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
March 5, 2008 12:51 p.m.
March 5, 2008 4:19 p.m.
March 7, 2008 8:45 a.m.
March 7, 2008 3:13 p.m.
March 8, 2008 9:39 a.m.
Look out the window - we have more water than we know what to do with right now. If we don't use it, whether to drink it, water lawns, or just let the hose run for no particular reason, it will just eventually flow downstream and be lost.
Conservation (whether water or gasoline) makes no difference at all. All it does is give the government and liberal activists another "crisis" to use as an excuse to expand their power and confiscate our wealth.
March 8, 2008 4:43 p.m.
GOLO member since August 2, 2007
March 9, 2008 3:29 a.m.
GOLO member since July 23, 2007
March 9, 2008 10:37 a.m.
March 17, 2008 1:03 p.m.
March 18, 2008 1:49 p.m.
What they need to do is stop allowing all of these apartment and condo/townhouse complexes! And quit handing out building permits like candy on holloween, at least until they find a solution!
There are also companies that install filtering systems for gray water. Installing them in large communities will cut down water usage.
March 31, 2008 9:47 a.m.
April 3, 2008 4:24 p.m.
That being said, we have found ways to save a considerable amount of water. We have cut our water consumption in half over the last few months. We now turn the water off during our showers while soaping up instead of letting the water run. Instead of letting water run down the drain while waiting for the dish water to warm up, we fill up a bucket and use it to water plants. The syphon old dish washing water and the kids bath water and used it on our plants outside. It is possible and prudent to use less.
GOLO member since April 3, 2008
April 3, 2008 5:28 p.m.
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