Raleigh Falling Short of Easley's Call for Water Cuts
A week after Gov. Mike Easley asked North Carolina residents to cut water use by 50 percent, Raleigh appears to be falling short of the goal.
Posted — Updated
Easley asked people to halve their water consumption between Oct. 22 and Halloween to give them an idea of what sacrifices would be needed in a water crisis and to help officials get a handle on what steps work best in various communities.
Raleigh water customers have consumed about 41 million gallons of water a day in recent days, a 24 percent drop from the average daily demand earlier in October, officials said.
Durham has reduced water use by an average of more than 10 million gallons a day over the last two months, officials said. State government has also cut its overall water usage by more than 30 percent.
"I want people to understand this is a very serious problem, and it is a manageable problem if we just conserve," Easley said.
Meanwhile, Cary will implement tougher water restrictions on Thursday, when lawn sprinklers will be banned. Outdoor watering by hand will still be allowed every day under the new rules.
First-time violators will receive a warning. Those who violate the restrictions a second time will face a $500 fine.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
