Holly Springs Imposes a Ban on Water

In the meantime town leaders told residents to turn off the sprinklers and put away the garden hoses.

Holly Springs homeowners found a surprise in their mailboxes this morning. A notice from the mayor told them not to water their yards or wash their cars because of a water shortage.

"I'm going to have to wrap up the water hose, and not use any water for the next couple of days," resident Chris Ezzell said.

Ezzell had just finished washing his jeep when he checked his mail. He thinks a ban on water use is a good temporary solution in a growing town like Holly Springs.

"I think it's a good idea, considering that this area has grown so much, it's just going to get worse," Ezzell said. "They're going to have to conserve as best they can until they find a new way to supply some water."

The ban could pose problems if it lasts more than a few days. Lisa Knier gave her flowers a good soaking Saturday, but she does not know when she will be able to water her lawn again. She is worried about her yard, but does not want to risk getting a $1,000 fine.

"It's a pretty steep fine," Knier said. "If our lawn also burns up, that's you know, a couple thousand dollars on our end that we'd have to replace."

Town leaders hope to lift the ban on Monday. In an emergency meeting called late Friday night, they drew up a plan to pump more water into Holly Springs.

"We approved $85,000 to get water from Harnett County and route it through Fuquay-Varina into Holly Springs," Town Commissioner Hank Dickson said.

The summer could get longer and hotter because of the water shortage. At the Winward Point community center, the pool will have to close if the water level gets too low. Half an inch of water evaporates each day because of the heat, and they are not allowed to refill it. At that rate, the pool will shut down in three or four days.

"We'd have a lot of unhappy neighbors and kids out here," Homeowner's Association President Debbie Romanchok said. "In the heat the only choice is to stay inside in the air conditioning or come to the pool, so it'd be a lot of unhappy people in Holly Springs."

Although town leaders hope to lift the ban on Monday, they will probably take other measures to conserve water, such as staggering times when homeowners can water their yards or wash their cars.