NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 1999

CARY LIFTS WATER RESTRICTIONS

CARY, NC – The record-breaking, hot, dry summer has ended, and so have water restrictions imposed by the Town of Cary. Beginning immediately, water customers in Cary, Morrisville, RDU, and the Wake County portion of RTP can once again water outdoors as they wish. Cooler temperatures and adequate rainfall predictions have Town officials hoping that water demand will be manageable as citizens voluntarily continue the wise water practices promoted during the restriction period—only one inch of water per week, including rainfall.

"This summer, unrestricted lawn watering was directly responsible for almost 25% of our available supply," said Cary Town Manager Bill Coleman. With restrictions in place, water usage dropped from a record 21 million gallons per day to a manageable level of between 12 and 15 million gallons per day. "To protect our water system and to allow us to meet peak demand, it continues to be important for everyone to use water wisely if we are to support unrestricted watering."

Most business and residential water customers on the Cary-Apex water system have been on some sort of irrigation restrictions since June 4^th. The most recent restriction was established on July 26^th and called for customers to participate in a mandatory odd/even watering program, with sprinklers and irrigation system use only allowed in the early morning or late evening. This was the first time that Cary implemented mandatory water restrictions since the Cary-Apex Water Treatment Plant came online in 1993.

Restrictions were established due to high demand brought on by record heat and lack of precipitation as well as system problems experienced by Raleigh and Durham, both of which provide supplemental water to the Cary-Apex system.

While the mandatory water restrictions have been lifted, citizens are encouraged to irrigate on alternate days and to use automated systems in the early morning or late evening. Officials in Cary are also hoping that citizens will think twice about their choices before the fall planting season really gets started.

"Fall and early winter are the best times for folks to plant trees, shrubs, and flowers because the root systems grow and get established during the winter, making them more drought tolerant in the summer," said Cary Horticulturist Shaub Dunkley.

Grasses, however, may be a different story. "We’d really like to see folks planting warm-season grasses like Bermuda and Zoysia for their long-term benefits to the water supply," Dunkley said.

"Over the long haul, these grasses take significantly less water to maintain and are more appropriate for our climate," said Dunkley. Warm-season grasses should not be seeded or sodded until spring. For those who continue to choose the cool-season Fescue grass, fall is the time to install or renovate.

Information on warm-season grasses and drought tolerant plants is available on the Town’s website, www.townofcary.org.

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