For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
AESTHETIC WATER USE. Water use for ornamental or decorative purposes such as fountains, reflecting pools and waterfalls.
COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL WATER USE. Water use integral to the production of goods and/or services by any establishment having financial profit as their primary aim.
CONSERVATION. Reduction in water use to prevent depletion of waste of the resource.
CUSTOMER. Any person, company or organization using water supplied by the city.
DOMESTIC WATER USE. Water used for personal needs or for household purposes such as drinking, bathing, heating, cooking, sanitation or for cleaning a residence, business, industry or institution.
DROUGHT ALERT PHASES.
(1) Moderate drought shall mean when the Palmer Index reaches the -1.50 to -2.99 range and moderate drought conditions have been verified by best available information and conditions indicate this situation is expected to persist.
(2) Severe drought shall mean when the Palmer Index reaches the -3.00 to -3.99 range and severe drought conditions have been verified by best available information.
(3) Extreme drought shall mean when the Palmer Index reaches or falls below -4.00 and extreme drought conditions are verified by best available information.
DROUGHT RESPONSE COMMITTEE. A committee composed of state and local representatives created for the purpose of coordinating responses to water shortages within drought management areas and making recommendations for action to the South Carolina Water Resources Commission and/or the Governor.
ESSENTIAL WATER USE. Water used specifically for firefighting, maintaining in stream flow requirements and to satisfy federal, state or local public health and safety requirements.
EVEN NUMBERED ADDRESS. Street addresses, box numbers or rural route numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or letters A through M and locations without addresses.
INSTITUTIONAL WATER USE. Water used by government, public and private educational institutions, public medians and rights-of-way, churches and their places of worship, water utilities and other lands, buildings and organizations within the public domain.
LANDSCAPE WATER USE. Water used to maintain gardens, trees, lawns, shrubs, flowers, athletic fields, rights of way and medians.
ODD NUMBERED ADDRESS. Addresses, box numbers or rural route numbers ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 or letters N through Z.
PALMER INDEX. A measure of the severity of a drought or a wet spell in an area. Dry conditions shall be associated with negative values; wet conditions with positive values and normal conditions shall have a value of zero.
WATER SHORTAGE. A lack of adequate available water to meet normal demands due to lower than normal precipitation, reduced stream flows or soil moisture and/or lowering of the potentiometric surface in wells which causes water supplies to be less than usual.
(‘88 Code, § 17.702)