For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates, or requires, a different meaning.
COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS WATER USE. Any use of water from the town’s water supply that meets either of the following criteria, with special emphasis on those uses which substantially minimize water use through recycling, or other means; critical to an institution’s, or business’s, function, and such use, or function, has a significant impact upon the economy of the county, or any municipality located therein; or critical to recreational, or other facilities, operated, or maintained, for community use. Examples of COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS WATER USES may be set forth in the Water Shortage Management Plan, and include, but are not limited to: watering stock or inventory at plant nurseries, garden centers, or tree farms; watering fairways, tees, and greens on golf courses; washing vehicles at commercial car washes; commercial pressure washing; commercial, agricultural applications; commercial manufacturing; fire hydrant and water line flushing; complying with applicable law for earth disturbing activity using no more water than is reasonably necessary; and other similar uses, as determined by the town.
CUSTOMER. Any person, or entity, in whose name the town maintains an account for water use. CUSTOMER also means, and includes, any person, or entity, who receives, or is capable of receiving, water from the town’s water supply through the customer’s private water supply, or by any other means, without regard to whether the town is aware of the existence of such CUSTOMER.
DISCRETIONARY WATER USE. Any use of water from the town’s water supply that is elective, and is not a community and business, or essential, water use. Examples of DISCRETIONARY WATER USES may be set forth in the Water Shortage Management Plan, and include, but are not limited to: lawn/turf irrigation; residential car washing; non-commercial pressure washing; ornamental pools or fountains; and other similar uses as determined by the town.
DROUGHT MANAGEMENT ADVISORY GROUP. A team of owners of large water intakes in the county river basin, state agencies, and Duke Energy tasked with formulating a basin-wide response to low inflow conditions, as defined in the LIP.
EMERGENCY CONDITIONS. Any condition posing a substantial, and immediate, threat to the ability of the town to meet actual, or anticipated, demand for community and business, and/or essential, water uses, and requiring the immediate implementation of mandatory water conservation measures in order to protect the public health, and safety, including, without limitation, a major disruption, or failure, in any portion of said supply, or contamination of the water in any portion of said supply, or of the raw water supply.
ESSENTIAL WATER USE. Any use of water from the town’s water supply that is necessary to maintain public health and safety. Examples of ESSENTIAL WATER USES may be set forth in the Water Shortage Management Plan, and include, but are not limited to: sustaining human life; fighting fires; testing for public safety standards; patient care and rehabilitation; maintaining pressure in the town’s water supply; maintaining operation of the town’s water supply; and other similar uses as determined by the town.
HICKORY PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT WATER SYSTEM (HPUD). The potable water supply, treatment, and distribution supply, or any portion thereof, operated by the City of Hickory.
IRRIGATION SERVICE CONNECTION. A service connection by which a customer receives water from the town’s water supply for the sole purpose of watering vegetation, and is not connected directly, or indirectly, to any plumbing supply that discharges into the publicly-operated treatment works.
LOW INFLOW PROTOCOL (LIP). Prescribed levels of escalating response to drought conditions based on trigger points for use during periods of low inflow to the reservoirs on the county river.
SERVICE CONNECTION. The terminal end of a complete service connection or, in the absence of a complete service connection, the point at which water leaves the town’s water supply, and enters a customer’s water supply.
TOWN MANAGER. The Town Manager, or any acting or interim Town Manager.
TOWN PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WATER SUPPLY (MPWD). The potable water supply, storage, treatment, and distribution supply, or any portion thereof, within the town.