NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 14, 2000

OUTDOOR WATERING RESTRICTIONS NOW IN PLACE
FOR SOME CUSTOMERS IN CARY & APEX
MORRISVILLE CONTEMPLATES SIMILAR ACTION

CARY, NC – Businesses, apartment complexes, homeowners’ associations, and all other non single-family residential water customers in Cary and Apex as well as RDU and the Wake County portion of the Research Triangle Park are now prohibited from using any automated outdoor watering systems to irrigate landscape materials including but not limited to automatic irrigation systems, sprinklers, and soaker hoses. All non-residential watering of grass/lawns is banned; however, non-residential users may hand-water plants, flowers, and gardens according to their alternate day watering schedule. The outdoor watering restrictions begin immediately and are in effect until further notice.

"This action is necessary because of consistent, record peak hourly demand from which the Cary-Apex water system is not fully recovering," said Cary Town Manager Bill Coleman.

"While we look at and report daily demand figures, we actually manage water supply for the Cary-Apex system hourly, based on what is generally a predictable demand cycle," said Cary’s Utilities Division Director Rob Bonne. "Over the last 16 hours, however, demand patterns have changed drastically and critically, causing our water storage tanks to be at very low levels. With little chance of significant rainfall during this hot, dry period, we have no choice but to take steps to affect demand."

The watering restrictions announced today have no effect on single family residential customers--including those in townhouses and condominiums with individual water meters-- and keeps all other existing rules of the alternate day watering plan including "no watering Mondays" and the addressed-based alternate day schedule for all users, residential and non-residential. That is, businesses, apartment complexes and other non-residential customer with an odd-numbered street address may now only hand-water outdoors on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Non-residential customers with even-numbered street addresses may now only hand-water on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Until today, all water customers in Apex were being asked to voluntarily abide by the alternate day watering plan. "We’re cutting off commercial irrigation today," said Apex Town Manager Bill Sutton, "and we’re asking everyone in Apex, including our residential customers, to voluntarily move to alternate day hand-watering only. Just as in Cary, no one in Apex should be watering outdoors at all on Mondays."

Today, Morrisville leaders are discussing the possibility of watering restrictions, but no decision has yet been announced.

Cary began mandatory year-round alternate day watering on May 1^st. On June 8^th, the Cary Town Council voted to eliminate weekend watering for all non-residential customers beginning July 1^st, but today’s announced restrictions nullify that plan.

Yesterday’s total demand for the Cary-Apex system was 19.90 million gallons. This year’s record daily peak demand was reached on May 18th at 21.6 mgd.

Daily supply and demand figures as well as comprehensive water conservation information is available on the Town of Cary’s website at www.townofcary.org.

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