As of 6:15pm today, Falls Lake has recovered its conservation water level of 251.50 feet, and more rain is on the way. The key numbers to remember are:

• 291.5′ - Top of Dam (all hell breaks loose)
• 264.8′ - Top of Spillway (overflowing into flooding Neuse)
• 251.5′ - Top of Conservation pool
• 236.5′ - Bottom of Conservation pool

The 12/12/07 memo from the city reported the level as 241.77′. This was the memo warning that fewer than 100 days of water remained. One February 15, Stage 2 Water Restrictions were implemented. This banned all car washing at non-approved sites and many other restrictions. It led to just a 4.5% decrease in consumption.

On March 18, the City Council gave City Manager Russell Allen the authority to revert to Stage 1.5 restrictions should the water supply pool climb to 90 percent. He was also given the authority to revert to Stage 1 restrictions as soon as the supply pool reaches 100 percent. That time is now, Mr. Allen (the city still sits at Stage 2 restrictions).

Unfortunately the City Council has given no hint that Stage 1 restrictions will ever be lifted. As you may recall, the Stage1 restrictions (pdf) include:

1. Once a week watering for irrigation systems
2. Twice a week watering for hand held hoses
3. Vehicle washing on Saturday and Sunday only
4. Pressure washing on Saturday and Sunday only.

Honestly, this ordinance makes no sense. Does washing my car on a Saturday use less water than on a Friday? The reason we had a water shortage is that people, in the face of the hottest and driest month on record (8/07), watered lawns too much. It wasn’t the power washers, the car washers, and the drinking water in restaurants. The bulk of water consumption in August and September came from irrigation. If people used their irrigations systems as turf specialists with NCSU and the N.C. Cooperative Extension Agency recommend, we would have plenty of water for a dry summer.

The unfortunate aspect is that Raleigh’s Stage 1 restrictions are written such that they do no promote smart use of water. Not only are there are convoluted subsets and exemptions that make the rules tough for the population to follow, the rules do not adequately address the most important parameters causing water shortages. Instead, this is how the restriction should read:

• Ban afternoon lawn watering of any type on any day. (evaporation concerns)
• Alternate assigned watering days for city water customers using automated irrigation systems, only.
• Maintain tiered water rates
• No other restrictions, but encourage conservation and educate irrigation system users (lawn only needs 1″ per week, etc).

Those four items are the most logical, concise means of making sure that keep enough water through the summer while living normal, healthy, happy lives.

For more information on maintaining grass, visit TurfFiles. Better yet, see the ad that the NC Sod Producers Association placed on page 4E of the News & Observer. It addresses some of the many myths being publicized by the Town of Cary’s new restrictions and money-for-grass program.

It is time for local government officials to worry more about writing laws that address the problem at hand instead of symbolic laws that simply disrupt our quality of life.

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