WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WECT) – The U.S. Drought Monitor has raised the City of Whiteville, NC’s drought category to D-2, severe drought conditions, as of July 8.
The city says that, while water supplies are currently normal, well-above-normal rainfall will be needed to make up for the weekly losses of soil moisture due to hot temperatures.
The city asks customers to do the following:
- “According to the City’s Water Response Plan, customers are expected to reduce their water use by 10% in comparison to their previous month’s water bill. In addition to continuing to encourage all reduction actions, the following restrictions apply: outdoor use of drinking water for washing impervious surfaces is prohibited, and all testing and training purposes requiring drinking water (e.g. fire protection) will be limited.
- “Water early in the morning and use drip irrigation where possible to minimize evaporation. Also, avoid wasting water on sidewalks and other paved areas. Always remember to follow local water restrictions.
- “Wash only full loads of laundry. By washing full instead of partial loads, you could save up to 3,400 gallons of water a year. Need a new clothes washer? Invest in an Energy Star–qualified model, which typically uses 50 percent less water and 37 percent less energy per load.
- “Fix leaks. A leaking faucet can waste up to 3,000 gallons a year and a leaking toilet can waste up to 73,000 gallons a year. To check your toilet for leaks, add a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet to the water in the tank, but do not flush the toilet. Watch to see if the coloring appears in the bowl within a few minutes. If it does, the toilet has a silent leak that needs to be repaired.
- “Install water-efficient plumbing fixtures. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures can reduce water consumption by 25 percent to 60 percent. Install inexpensive faucet aerators to cut in half the amount of water used by each faucet.”
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