Duke Energy Supports Drought Management Advisory Group Recommendations and Curtails Lawn Irrigation from the Catawba

Duke Energy strongly endorses the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group’s (DMAG) Sept. 18 recommendation asking for the curtailment of lawn watering along the basin.

The team, made up of major public water system operators, seeks to implement a significant reduction of this non-essential use of water in order to buy time to get more rainfall in the region and to further delay moving to the next stage of drought conditions, which could occur in early October.

Watering lawns is one of the largest non-essential uses of water on the Catawba-Wateree system. Typically, September and October are the time of year when many existing lawns are re-seeded and new lawns are started, requiring additional water. With no significant rainfall in the forecast, experts encourage delay of new lawn work until substantial, consistent rainfall patterns return.

The public water system managers in the basin are coordinating with each other and sharing information in order to manage during this extreme drought situation. It’s important to note that the decision on specific requirements and limitations for each water system resides with that major water system’s management.

In support of the DMAG’s recommendations, Duke Energy is also announcing that lawn watering from lake irrigation pumps should stop completely from all 11 Catawba-Wateree lakes until rain returns to the area and restores streamflows, lake levels and groundwater levels to normal operating levels. The ban for use of lake pumps is effective Sept. 25, 2007.

Earlier in September, Duke had limited lawn watering from irrigation pumps on the Catawba-Wateree lakes to no more than two days per week (Tuesdays and Saturdays, sunset to sunrise).

The same guidelines apply to this latest restriction: If a lake pump is observed being used to water lawns after Sept. 25, 2007, a warning will be issued the first time. For a second violation, Duke Energy will take action to remove the pumping facilities from the lake boundary. Continued failure to comply with these restrictions can result in the loss of dock access and consideration of other lake use authorizations for up to five years.

Anyone observing misuse of lake pumps can report it to Duke Energy’s lake services line at 1-800-443-5193.

Duke Energy appreciates the public’s conservation efforts and ongoing support of these new measures as we collectively work together to conserve during this time of extreme drought.