City Asks for Temporary Halt to Sprinkler Usage 

Extraordinarily high public demand for water over the last few days has created an excessive demand on the City’s water distribution system. In light of this situation, City Manager Ed Kitchen has issued a request that citizens and businesses refrain from using sprinklers--until otherwise notified--beginning at noon on Friday, June 11. Water Resources Director Allan Williams says that "failure to comply with this request could result in loss of pressure and essential water to limited areas of the city." It is hoped that with cooperation of citizens, water levels will be restored sufficiently by early next week for the ban to be lifted.

This request is due not to water supply problems, but to a need to build water levels in the City’s distribution tanks. Heavy use of water by industry during the week lowers tank levels. These levels usually recover during the weekends, but the drought has resulted in so much watering of lawns that the levels are not being built back up. Projects currently underway to relieve these distribution difficulties in the future include the construction of the north side feeder main and the Reidsville interconnection. The feeder main will allow greater amounts of water to be moved from the Townsend Water Plant to areas of demand that can currently only be supplied by the Mitchell Water Plant. The feeder main is scheduled for completion this winter.

The problems we are experiencing are not unlike those of other North Carolina communities, where water use records are being set. Several towns, including Cary and Holly Springs, have banned use of sprinkler systems and established penalties for violators. Other cities and towns, such as Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Raleigh, have also called upon citizens to conserve water.

The City will notify citizens when water levels have recovered and sprinkling can be resumed.