(A) Incipient Drought, Stage 0/Drought Watch. Upon notification by the Drought Response Committee or the CW-DMAG that an incipient drought or Stage 0 drought conditions are present, the City of Camden's Drought Response Representative will make a recommendation to the City Manager regarding the need for the declaration of a Stage 0 drought watch. The Drought Response Representative will regularly communicate and coordinate with Duke Energy, the Departments of Natural Resources in both South Carolina and North Carolina, the State Drought Response Committee, public water utilities sharing the city's water source upstream, and other local, state and federal agencies to accomplish the following:
(1) Active monitoring of drought conditions;
(2) Review of drought forecasts and reporting information; and
(3) Review of plans for drought management response and mitigation. During a drought watch, as deemed necessary, the City of Camden may encourage customers to consider voluntary water conservation measures in a proactive effort to mitigate potential drought conditions.
(B) Stage 1 Drought/Voluntary Conservation. Upon notification by the CW-DMAG that Stage 1 Low Inflow conditions are present and expected to persist. The city will seek voluntary reductions on using water during certain peak water demand periods. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction of 3-5% in water use. To accomplish this, the city will take the following actions:
(1) Issue a proclamation to be released to local media, the customers, and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought information Center that Stage 1 drought conditions are present.
(2) Provide written notification to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center and routinely publish in the local newspaper the voluntary conservation measures that the customers are requested to follow during drought conditions including:
(a) Reduce watering of lawns, plants, trees, gardens, shrubbery, and flora on private or public property to two days per week or the minimum necessary. Encourage outdoor watering to be done during off-peak hours.
(b) Reduce the domestic washing of motorbikes, boats, cars, etc.
(C) Moderate drought (Stage 2). Upon notification by the Drought Response Committee or the CW-DMAG that a moderate drought or Stage 2 Low Inflow conditions are present and expected to persist and/or upon determination by the city that a moderate water supply shortage exists based on trigger levels, the city will seek mandatory reductions on using water during certain peak water demand periods. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction of 5-10% in water use. To accomplish this, the city will take the following actions:
(1) Issue a proclamation to be released to local media, the customers, and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center that moderate Stage 2 drought conditions are present.
(2) Provide written notification to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center and routinely publish in the local newspaper the mandatory conservation measures that the customers are requested to follow during moderate drought conditions including:
(a) Reduce residential water use to ten cubic feet per person per day and a maximum of 40 cubic feet per household per day.
(b) Eliminate the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection.
(c) Eliminate the washing down of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, and other hard surfaced areas.
(d) Eliminate flushing gutters.
(e) Eliminate the domestic washing of motorbikes, boats, cars, etc.
(f) Restrict watering of lawns, plants, trees, gardens, shrubbery, and flora on private or public property to two days per week. Restrict use to Wednesday and Saturday for odd-numbered addresses and Thursday and Sunday for even-numbered addresses. Encourage outdoor watering to be done from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
(g) Limit normal water use by commercial and individual customers including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Stop maintaining water levels in scenic and recreational ponds and lakes, except for the minimum amount required to support aquatic life.
2. Cease water service to customers who have been given a ten-day notice to repair one or more leaks and have failed to do so.
(3) Intensify maintenance efforts to identify and correct water leaks in the distribution system.
(4) Cease to install new irrigation taps on the water system.
(5) Publicize the penalties to be imposed for violations of mandatory restrictions and the procedures to be followed if a variance in the restriction is requested.
(D) Severe drought phase (Stage 3). Upon notification by the Drought Response Committee or the CW-DMAG that a severe drought or Stage 3 Low Inflow conditions are present and expected to persist and/or upon determination by the city that a severe water supply shortage exists, the city will seek further mandatory reductions in the use of water for all purposes and restrictions on times when certain water usage is allowed. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction of 10–20% in water use. To accomplish this, the city will take the following actions:
(1) Issue a proclamation to be released to local media, the customers, and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center that severe Stage 3 drought conditions are present.
(2) Provide written notification to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center and routinely publish in the local newspaper the conservation measures and mandatory restrictions to be placed on the use of water supplies by the city, including:
(a) Reduction of residential water use to nine cubic feet per person per day and a maximum of 35 cubic feet per household per day.
(b) Restrict irrigation water use to one day per week. Saturday for odd-numbered addresses and Sunday for even-numbered addresses. Restrict all irrigation water use to low-volume hand-held applications only and prohibit sprinklers and other remote broadcast devices.
(c) Mandatory restriction on the use of water supplied by the city for activities including:
1. Eliminate the washing down of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, and other hard surfaced areas.
2. Eliminate the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection.
3. Eliminate flushing gutters.
4. Eliminate the domestic washing of motorbikes, boats, cars, etc.
5. Eliminate the use of water to maintain fountains, reflection ponds and decorative water bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except where necessary to support aquatic life.
6. Eliminate filling or maintaining public or private swimming pools.
7. Eliminate obtaining water from fire hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or for any purpose other than fire-fighting or flushing necessary to maintain water quality.
(d) Limit water use by commercial and individual customers including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Stop serving water in addition to another beverage in restaurants.
2. Stop maintaining water levels in scenic and recreational ponds and lakes, except for the minimum amount required to support aquatic life.
3. Limit irrigating golf courses and any portion of its grounds.
4. Cease water service to customers who have been given a ten-day notice to repair one or more leaks and have failed to do so.
5. Limit expanding commercial nursery facilities, placing new irrigated agricultural land in production or planting or landscaping when required site design review process.
6. Expand the use of education and public relations efforts and emphasize the penalties associated with violating the mandatory restrictions.
7. Provide written notification monthly to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center regarding the success of the voluntary and mandatory restrictions.
(3) Intensify maintenance efforts to identify and correct water leaks in the distribution system.
(4) Continue to cease to install new irrigation taps on the water system.
(5) Publicize the penalties to be imposed for violations of mandatory restrictions and the procedures to be followed if a variance in the restriction is requested.
(6) Expand the use of education and public relations efforts and emphasize the penalties associated with violating the mandatory restrictions.
(7) Provide written notification monthly to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center regarding the success of the voluntary and mandatory restrictions.
(E) Extreme drought phase (Stage 4). Upon notification by the Drought Response Committee or the CW-DMAG that an extreme drought condition or Stage 4 Low Inflow conditions are present and expected to persist and/or upon determination by the city that an extreme water supply shortage exists, the city will impose mandatory restriction in the use of water for all purposes and on the times when certain water usage is allowed. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction of 20-30% in water use. To accomplish this, the city will take the following actions:
(1) Issue a proclamation to be released to local media, the customers, and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center that extreme Stage 4 drought conditions are present.
(2) Provide written notification to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center and routinely publish in the local newspaper the mandatory restrictions to be placed on the use of water supplied by the city, including:
(a) Reduction of residential water use to 8.0 cubic feet per person per day and a maximum of 30 cubic feet per household per day.
(b) Eliminate landscape irrigation.
(c) Mandatory restriction on the use of water supplied by the city for activities including:
1. Eliminate the washing down of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, and other hard surfaced areas.
2. Eliminate the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection.
3. Eliminate flushing gutters.
4. Eliminate the domestic washing of motorbikes, boats, cars, etc.
5. Eliminate the use of water to maintain fountains, reflection ponds and decorative water bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except where necessary to support aquatic life.
6. Eliminate filling or maintaining public or private swimming pools.
7. Eliminate obtaining water from fire hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or for any purpose other than fire-fighting or flushing necessary to maintain water quality.
(d) Limit use by commercial and individual customers including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Stop routinely serving water in addition to another beverage in restaurants.
2. Stop maintaining water levels in scenic and recreational ponds and lakes, except for the minimum amount required to support aquatic life.
3. Limit irrigating golf courses and any portion of its grounds.
4. Cease water service to customers who have been given a ten-day notice to repair one or more leaks and have failed to do so.
5. Limit expanding commercial nursery facilities, placing new irrigated agricultural land in production and planting or landscaping when required by site design review process.
(3) Intensify maintenance efforts to identify and correct water leaks in the distribution system.
(4) Continue to cease installation of new irrigation taps on the water system.
(5) Publicize the penalties to be imposed for violations of mandatory restrictions and the procedures to be followed if a variance in the restriction is requested.
(6) Expand the use of education and public relations efforts and emphasize the penalties associated with violating the mandatory restrictions.
(7) Provide written notification monthly to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center regarding the success of the voluntary and mandatory restrictions.
(Ord., passed 7-14-86; Am. Ord., passed 8-12-86; Am. Ord. 03-006, passed 3-11-03; Am. Ord. 07-020, passed 8-14-07)