NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 1998

CARY ROLLS OUT MOST COMPREHENSIVE WATER CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN TO DATE

CARY, NC -- The Town of Cary is using the upcoming Memorial Day weekend to roll out its most aggressive water conservation campaign to date--"Beat-the-Peak 98". The goal of the plan is to significantly reduce Cary’s peak water demand by promoting wise water use, especially outdoors. Just in the last few weeks, demand on the Cary-Apex water plant has climbed more than fifty percent, peaking on Wednesday at over 16.5 million gallons of treated water.

"What we want to do with this program is help people learn how to maximize their use of water before we get into severe situation," said Town Manager Bill Coleman. Last year, demand peaked at 19.8 million gallons in July. Town officials attribute high summer use in large part to outdoor water use.

"Beat-the-Peak 98" stretches over a six month period and involves a multifaceted approach to informing and educating citizens on a variety of water-related topics by utilizing all available information mediums. The plan has four major components:

• The hallmark of "Beat-the-Peak 98" is Cary’s Tuna Can Plan which encourages people to water their lawns only when needed, but no more than one inch, once a week, and only in the mornings. To achieve this goal, the Town will distribute more than 26,000 cans door-to-door to Cary homeowners starting next week. These one-inch cans will be accompanied by a flyer which tells citizens how to use the can to know when their lawns have had enough water.
  
• Beginning in June, citizens will receive Landscaping Cary Style, a new monthly Town publication which will focus on different landscaping topics that promote good water practices. Topics will include planting drought-resistant trees and shrubs, choosing the best type of grass for this area, water wise irrigation methods and tools, proper soil preparation, and water wise landscaping planning and design. Landscaping Cary Style will be prepared in feature format and posted on the Town’s website as well as distributed to the media for their use. In addition, pocket-size versions will go to Cary homeowners via utility bills, and displays will also be placed in area lawn & garden centers.
  
• Also in June, Cary will unveil its "When-to-Water Website", a new section of the Town’s existing website designed to give people important information about water use and usage. By accessing "When to Water", citizens will know the current weather conditions and learn how these factors should impact their watering decisions. "When to Water" will also track daily water demand on the Cary-Apex water plant so that the community as a whole can see how it is doing in the total conservation effort.
  
• Throughout the summer, the Town will continue recruiting volunteers for its Block Leader Program, the grassroots communications effort between the Town and neighborhoods designed to give residents the latest information on important issues facing their community. Block Leaders spend between three and five hours a month learning about specific Town programs and sharing what they’ve learned with their neighbors. Subjects will include water conservation, recycling, and other environmental topics. Cary launched Block Leader in late April. The Program was first used by the Town in the late 1980’s to jump-start what is now one of the nation’s most successful recycling programs.

"With ‘Beat-the-Peak 98’, we’re trying to find the most effective ways to reach everyone in Cary," said Cary’s Water Conservation Specialist Jennifer Platt." "Even though we’ve been developing this year’s campaign for many months, we’ll continue to refine our efforts throughout the summer as we evaluate the plan’s impact on peak demand."

Cary is one of only a handful of communities in North Carolina having a full-time, year-round water conservation program. Other communities include Asheville, Greensboro, and Durham.

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PRIMARY CONTACTS: Jennifer Platt, Water Conservation Specialist, 462-3872
Bill Coleman, Town Manager, 469-4002
Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, 460-4951