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Can City Cut Water Squander?: As Drought Weighs in, Reusing Cleaned Sewage Looks Better Then Ever

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 June 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Bruce Henderson, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.

Jun. 7--The stage is set: A drought spreading across the Piedmont. Lawns growing crispy. And sprinkler-happy Charlotteans who know what they must do.

But Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities adds a new twist to the summertime drama.

The water-sewer department is trying to restart its dormant water-reuse project, a tiny antidote to the gushers of fresh water Charlotte residents dump on their grass during warm weather.

The $7 million facility in northeast Charlotte ran for less than two years, supplying irrigation water to a golf course, before it was mothballed in 2000.

Reclaimed water, as experts call it, is highly treated sewage. It saves perfectly potable water from being wasted on vegetation, and is becoming more common across the state as water demands grow.

And Charlotte is where irrigation and demand intersect.

Water use in Mecklenburg County soars by about a third in warm weather, mostly because people are watering their lawns, gardens and shrubs.

Drought only makes matters worse. Homeowners and businesses pumped more irrigation water in 2002, the driest year of the century's deepest drought, than at any time in the past five years.

With thousands of dollars invested in sod and an in-ground irrigation system, University-area resident Richard Hambright said a voluntary reduction in watering isn't likely in his future.

"I'll probably wait until they tell me to cut back," he said as water sprinkled his manicured lawn Tuesday. "But it's kind of hard to do when you've got your yard this far along."

An education campaign -- or wetter weather -- drove down this spring's water demand about 18 percent compared with the 2002 drought year.

University-area resident Pat Jackson said most people in her neighborhood are voluntarily cutting back. She's trying to water only her flowers.

"This is the first time we're watering" the lawn, she said. "It's because we cut the grass too short last night."

Most of North Carolina's central third, including Charlotte, is again in moderate drought. The rainfall shortage south, north and west of Charlotte -- including Catawba, Iredell and Lincoln counties -- is more severe.

To encourage conservation, Charlotte-Mecklenburg charges three times more for the highest water usage compared with modest amounts.

Still, some customers happily pay hundreds of dollars a month to water their lawns, said Maeneen Klein, the utility's conservation coordinator. No rules ban waste, such as sprinklers twirling away after storms.

"It's probably the number one call I get all summer long," Klein said. "It's one thing if you're wasting water in your house, but it grates on people to see it so flagrantly misused."

Many homeowners tell Klein they don't know how to turn off their automatic irrigation systems, although $40 sensors will shut them down during and after rain. She's exploring whether to recommend an ordinance that would prohibit such waste.

The water department doesn't patrol for scofflaws until mandatory rules, which restrict the days on which watering is allowed, go into effect. Voluntary conservation rules are now in force.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg's water reclamation project, launched in 1998, barely got off the ground.

The project struggled to produce water clean enough to meet tough standards, meant to protect the people who might come in contact with it. The project also had to be shut down during expansion of the sewage treatment plant at which it was located, on Mallard Creek.

The booming town of Cary, west of Raleigh, reclaims up to 20 million gallons of water a month in summer. Unlike Mecklenburg, more than 300 homeowners are customers.

Fast-growing Brunswick, Johnston and Orange counties also have reclaimed-water systems, state officials say.

Mecklenburg's project, when it's working, can recycle up to 3 million gallons a day.

The utility is cleaning the five-mile reclaimed water line that runs to The Tradition golf course and to Mallard Creek Community Park. The golf course used the recycled water in the past, and owners say they'll do so again once the lines reopen.

A decision will be made by July on whether to restart it this summer, Klein said. It will hinge on whether the utility can produce reliably clean recycled water.

"If we're all sensible, we can get through" the drought, she said. "We shouldn't use (water) just because it's hot and dry outside."

-- Staff writers Peter St. Onge and diana ni contributed.

Saving Water

-- Limit lawn watering to an inch a week, including rain.-- Consider water-saving drip irrigation for shrubs and trees.

-- Install a rain sensor to shut off your irrigation system during rain.

-- Learn how to turn off the system to stop leaks.

-- Don't water the driveway or street.

-- Use drought-tolerant plants.

-- Mulch.

-- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways.

-- Use a cut-off nozzle so water doesn't run while washing your car.

-- SOURCE: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities

Free Water-Saving Kits

www.charmeck.org/ Departments/Utilities/ WaterSmart/home.htm

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Charlotte Observer, N.C.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)

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