There are a variety of conditions that might contribute to a water shortage, including but not limited to: peak customer demands on the water system; water supplies below the level necessary to meet needs; water quality threatened or impaired due to contamination; power outages or equipment malfunction; and natural disasters. The following water conservation stage triggers have been established to allow the HCDPU to respond to a water shortage with the appropriate stage of conservation.
(A) Triggers based on water supply.
Water Conservation Stage | HCDPU Trigger |
Voluntary water shortage alert | Unusually dry conditions result in severely low stream flows that are consistently below seasonal norms and dry conditions are forecast. |
Water shortage warning | Target flow of the Cape Fear River at Lillington is reduced to 250 CFS or less. |
Water shortage emergency | Daily demands exceed 50% of available flow. |
Water shortage crisis | Daily demands exceed 75% of available flow. |
(B) Triggers based on daily water demands.
Water Conservation Stage | HCDPU Trigger |
Voluntary water shortage alert | 3 consecutive days of demand exceeding 85% of available capacity |
Water shortage warning | 3 consecutive days of demand exceeding 90% of available capacity |
Water shortage emergency | 5 consecutive days of demand exceeding 90% of available capacity |
Water shortage crisis | 1 consecutive day of demand exceeding 100% of available capacity |
(Ord. passed 12-3-2018)