Governor Urges 50% Water Usage Cut

Gov. Mike Easley today announced he is calling on citizens across North Carolina to cut water consumption by 50 percent between now and Halloween. In addition, he has asked each of the state’s public water systems to increase reporting to the state by recording the amount of water used daily and sending that information weekly to his office. The consumption totals will be made available to the public to help communities and the public monitor the success of water-saving measures.

“Between now and Halloween, I am calling on North Carolinians across the state to cut our water use by half,” Easley said. “Whenever you use water, cut the amount by half, whether it is taking a shower or washing the dishes. We all need to know whether this will be extremely difficult or easily do-able, but we do need to establish a baseline of water use to determine which water conservation measures are most effective. We likely will spot important trends and pick up valuable conservation methods that communities can share. I appreciate the cooperation from all of the state’s public water systems, local officials and our citizens.”

Easley said his office will collect and distribute this detailed water consumption information as long as the drought persists. As Easley noted in an address to the North Carolina League of Municipalities last week, the state is suffering from the worst drought on record and water resources are critically low. Water consumption must be reduced now and for the foreseeable future if we are to avoid a water supply emergency.

Starting today with “Operation Halve-It,” the governor’s office will monitor water consumption by the state’s public water systems, and after Halloween, the governor will release a list of those systems that have significantly reduced their consumption. Some communities, such as Siler City, have already asked residents to cut water consumption by 50 percent.