Cary Invites Citizens to Share Their Recipes for Success in 11th Annual Summer Water Conservation Campaign

Truckload rain barrel sale this Saturday to help kickoff Beat the Peak

May 16, 2008

CARY, NC – With higher temperatures and dryer conditions on the horizon this summer, the Town of Cary is encouraging citizens to maintain their commitment to water conservation through this summer’s Beat the Peak Campaign, “Recipe for Success”, which highlights the water-saving habits that have helped Cary successfully manage water resources over the years, including weathering the recent drought. As part of this year’s campaign, residents have begun receiving “Recipe for Success” postcards in the mail that note the Town’s “recipe” for making the most efficient use of water and invite citizens to e-mail their most creative water conservation tips to caryrecipes4success@townofcary.org. Each month, the Town will share noteworthy indoor and outdoor water-saving habits in the Water Conservation section of the Town’s Web site.

“Thankfully, our citizens have been doing a great job of employing water conservation efforts year round. That’s why this year, we are asking everyone to share practical tips with our community to help us make it through another summer,” said Marie Cefalo, Cary ’s Water Conservation Coordinator. “We are also encouraging more residents to take advantage of water-saving measures such as rainwater harvesting.”

Cefalo added that a truckload rain barrel sale will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2008 , from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Bond Park Community Center , 801 High House Road . The barrels are $87 each and can be paid for with cash, check or credit card. Pre-sales are being taken in person at all three Cary Community Centers. Collecting rain to water landscapes and gardens increases the amount of treated water that is available for drinking, cooking and bathing. Rainwater harvesting also reduces utility bills and is not subject to Cary 's year-round outdoor watering restrictions.

Established in 1998, Cary’s Beat the Peak campaign is the annual outdoor water conservation initiative by the Town to educate its utility customers about outdoor water conservation through vehicles such as the Town’s Web site, Block Leaders, media relations, direct mail, free WaterWise Workshops and promotional items. The Beat the Peak campaign serves as a reminder of the Town’s three, year-round watering ordinances, including: Alternate Day Watering, Water Waste and Rain Sensor ordinances. The Alternate Day Watering Ordinance enables customers to use automatic irrigation systems or hoses and sprinklers three specified days per week. As part of the water waste ordinance, residents are not permitted to over water their landscaping, thereby limiting runoff into storm drains and into the street. Lastly, the rain sensor ordinance requires a rain sensor be set to ¼ inch on all automatic irrigation systems.

The Town also recruits block leaders – citizens who volunteer as grassroots environmental educators – spread the word about waterwise practices. Customers served by block leaders will begin receiving a “Recipe for Success” measuring cup as a reminder to continue their successful water saving measures. The promotional items will also be available to Cary utility customers at events such as Lazy Daze.

Cefalo noted that earlier this year, the Cary Town Council also directed staff to develop four new water conservation initiatives, including the Warm Season Grass Incentive for New Development, Turf Buy Back, High Efficiency Toilet Retrofit Rebate and the Build Your Own Rain Barrel Program. More information about these initiatives will be forthcoming in this summer once the programs have been established.

For more about these and other water conservation initiatives, click on Water Conservation at www.townofcary.org or call (919) 469-4090.

###

PRIMARY CONTACTS:

Marie Cefalo, Water Conservation Coordinator, (919) 469-4387

April Raphiou, Deputy Public Information Officer, (919) 481-5091

Susan Moran, Public Information Officer, (919) 393-4383