(A) Whenever the Mayor of the city is informed by the City Manager that either the drinking water supply is limited or that raw water supplies are below the level necessary to meet normal needs and that serious shortages exist, the Mayor is empowered to declare by this subchapter that a water shortage crisis exists. In addition, the Mayor (or City Manager or his or her designee) is authorized to call upon all water customers to employ water shortage crisis measures as outlined in Addendum 3. These restrictions shall continue until the emergency is ended by the announcement of return-to-normal conditions by the city. Under a water shortage crisis, it is contingent upon the city to provide for the equitable distribution of critically-limited water supplies, in order to balance demand and limited available supplies, and to assure that sufficient water is available to preserve public health and safety. In the case of a drought, a Declaration of Water Shortage Crisis shall be imposed when the level of the Neuse River at the city's intake structure reaches 49.5 feet MSL and that mandatory conservation measures have not achieved a 30% water reduction goal.
(B) Situations could occur that declaration of a water shortage crisis is necessary even before the river level reaches 49.5 feet MSL. Examples include, but are not limited to: (1) if the city was informed that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has significantly reduced the flow from the Falls Lake Dam and that water supply to the city will be questionable; (2) if water lines are broken and drinking water is in short supply. In these types of situations, the Mayor (or City Manager or his or her designee) is authorized to call upon all water customers to employ water shortage crisis measures as outlined in Addendum 3.
(Ord. 2005-105, passed 11-21-05; Am. Ord. 2007-91, passed 10-25-07; Am. Ord. 2009-60, passed 8-3-09)