(A) Stage 0 drought watch. In cooperation with York County's wholesale water suppliers, the county will enter the drought watch stage based upon the indicators as contained in Duke Energy's low inflow protocol document. During this period, county staff will regularly communicate with all wholesale providers, public water utilities sharing the system, and other local, state, and federal agencies to actively monitor drought conditions, review drought forecasts, and review plans for drought management response and mitigation. During a drought watch, York County 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 determination by the county and its wholesale providers that a moderate water supply shortage exists, the county will reserve the right to seek voluntary reductions from its customers in the use of water for all purposes and voluntary reductions on using water during certain peak water demand periods. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction in overall water use of 3 -5%. To accomplish this, the county will take the following actions:
(1) The County Manager will issue a declaration to be released to local media, the county 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 publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the service area of the water system the voluntary conservation measures that the customers are requested to follow during stage 1 drought conditions, including:
(a) Recommend voluntary reduction of residential water use to a maximum of 350 gallons per household or REU per day;
(b) For landscape design and maintenance, the use of low volume hand held water applications or drip irrigation is encouraged. Recommend the reduction in the use of sprinklers, irrigation systems or other remote landscaping devices to no more than two days per week. Established lawns need only one inch of water per week from a combination of irrigation and rain. Encourage outdoor watering to be done during off-peak hours;
(c) Reduce the washing down of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts and other hard surfaced areas;
(d) Reduce the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection;
(e) Reduce the flushing of gutters;
(f) Reduce the domestic washing of motorbikes, boats, cars, automobiles, and the like;
(g) Reduce 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;
(h) Reduce the amount of water obtained from fire hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or for any purpose other than fire-fighting or flushing necessary to maintain water quality; and
(3) Intensify maintenance efforts to identify and correct water leaks in the distribution system. The utility reserves the right to 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; and
(4) Continue to encourage and educate customers to comply with voluntary water conservation.
(C) Stage 2 drought / mandatory conservation. Upon determination by the county and its wholesale providers that a severe water supply shortage exists, the county will reserve the right to impose mandatory restrictions 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 in overall water use of 5 - 10%. To accomplish these goals, the county will take the following actions:
(1) The County Manager will issue a declaration to be released to the local media, the county customers and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center that stage 2 drought conditions are present;
(2) Provide written notification to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center and publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the service area of the water system the voluntary conservation measures and mandatory restrictions to be placed on the use of water supplied by the utility, including:
(a) Recommend voluntary reduction of residential water use to a maximum of 300 gallons per household or REU per day;
(b) The county will reserve the right to impose mandatory restrictions on the use of water supplied by the utility for activities including:
1. For landscape design and maintenance, the use of low-volume, handheld watering applications or drip irrigation is encouraged. Restrict the use of sprinklers, irrigation systems or other remote landscape watering devices to no more than two days per week at designated times. Designated days and times will be approved by the County Manager. There are no time-of-day limitations on hand watering or drip irrigation of trees and shrubs during the watering day;
2. Planting of new ornamental plants or seeding/sodding of lawns is strongly discouraged. However, if newly seeded/sodded lawns require regular watering to maintain healthy growth, customers may apply for a variance to permit watering newly seeded/sodded lawns one time per day for the first two weeks after the seeding/sodding takes place. Watering may only take place at designated times as indicated in the variance;
3. In all cases of landscape irrigation and maintenance, water runoff is strictly prohibited;
4. Discourage water-based recreational activities that require filling newly constructed or drained structures such as swimming pools, water slides or other water-based recreational equipment. Reduce filling or maintaining public or private swimming pools to the minimal amount of make-up water necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the pool and the filtration system. Newly constructed public or private swimming pools may be filled one time per drought period. Recycled water must be in use for water slides and other water-related activities to continue operations;
5. Limit the washing down of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts and other hard surfaced areas to designated days and times as established by the utility. Professional commercial pressure washing businesses are exempt from this mandatory restriction during a stage 2 drought;
6. Eliminate the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection or regulatory compliance;
7. Eliminate the flushing of gutters;
8. Eliminate the use of water to maintain ornamental fountains, artificial waterfalls, misting machines, reflection ponds and decorative water bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except for the minimum amount of make-up water necessary to maintain aquatic life; and
9. Limit residential vehicle washing to designated days and times as established by the utility. Encourage the use of commercial car washes that use the industry's best management practices for the efficient use of water and those that recycle, reclaim, or reuse a portion of their wash water in their daily operations. Limit washing of vehicles in car dealerships or in commercial fleets (rental cars) to no more than once per week except as required for health and safety.
(c) Discourage obtaining water from fire hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or any purpose other than fire-fighting or flushing necessary to maintain water quality.
(d) Limit use of water by commercial, agricultural and individual customers including, but not limited to, the following:
1. Stop routinely serving water in restaurants unless requested;
2. Limit irrigating golf courses and any portion of its grounds;
3. Allow professional and commercial landscaping, nursery and pressure washing businesses to continue normal operations using handheld hoses with spring-loaded nozzles or by use of recycled water; and
4. Agricultural and livestock operations are encouraged to implement conservation techniques, explore different water saving methods and use alternative sources.
(3) Intensify maintenance efforts to identify and correct water leaks in the distribution system. The utility reserves the right to 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;
(4) Publicize widely the penalties to be imposed for proposed mandatory restrictions and the procedures to be followed if a variance in the restrictions is requested;
(5) Expand the use of education and public relations efforts and emphasize the penalties associated with violating the mandatory restrictions; and
(6) Provide written notification monthly to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center regarding the success of the voluntary and mandatory restrictions.
(D) Stage 3 drought / increased mandatory conservation. Upon determination by the county and its wholesale providers that a severe water supply shortage exists, the county will reserve the right to impose increased mandatory restrictions on the use of water for all purposes and restrictions on times when certain water use is allowed. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction in overall water use of 10 – 20% or more. To accomplish these goals, the county will take the following actions:
(1) The County Manager will issue a declaration to be released to the local news media, county customers and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' Drought Information Center that 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 a newspaper of general circulation in the service area of the water system the increased mandatory conservation measures and restrictions to be placed on the use of water supplied by the utility. Voluntary and mandatory restrictions include:
(a) Recommend voluntary reduction of residential water use to a maximum of 275 gallons per household or REU per day.
(b) York County will impose increased mandatory restrictions on the use of water supplied by the utility for activities including:
1. For landscape design and maintenance, the use of low-volume, hand held watering applications or drip irrigation is encouraged. Limit the use of sprinklers, irrigation systems or other remote landscape watering devices to one day per week at designated times. Designated days and times for all addresses will be approved by the County Manager.
2. Prohibit filling or refilling swimming pools except for the minimal amount of make-up water necessary to maintain a pools structural integrity and filtration system.
3. Limit the washing to sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, and other hard surfaced areas and structures to designated day and time as established by the utility.
4. Limit residential vehicle washing to designated day and time as established by the utility. Encourage the use of commercial car washes that use the industry's best management practices for the efficient use of water and those that recycle, reclaim, or reuse a portion of their wash water in their daily operations. Limit washing of vehicles in car dealerships or in commercial fleets (rental cars) to no more than once per week except as required for health and safety.
(c) Customers are strongly encouraged to postpone planting of all new landscaping until after drought conditions have subsided.
(d) Eliminate public building and street washing activities, except as required for safety or to maintain regulatory compliance.
(e) Limit obtaining water from fire hydrants for construction purposes, fire drills or any purpose other than fire-fighting or flushing necessary to maintain water quality. No new fire hydrant permits will be issued by the utility.
(f) Encourage industrial/manufacturing process changes that reduce water consumption.
(3) In all cases of landscape irrigation and maintenance, water runoff is strictly prohibited.
(4) Continue to intensify maintenance efforts to identify and correct water leaks in the distribution system.
(5) Publicize widely the penalties to be imposed for increased mandatory restrictions and the procedures to be followed if a variance in the restrictions is requested.
(6) Continue the use of education and public relations efforts and emphasize the penalties associated with violating the restrictions.
(7) Provide written notification monthly to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center regarding the success of the restrictions.
(E) Stage 4 drought/ emergency conservation. Upon determination by the county and its wholesale providers that a severe water supply shortage exists, the county will reserve the right to impose emergency restrictions on the use of water for all purposes and restrictions on times when certain water use is allowed. Specifically, the goal during this phase is to achieve a reduction in overall water use of 25% or more. To accomplish these goals, the county will take the following actions:
(1) The County Manager will issue a declaration to be released to the local news media, county customers and to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' Drought Information Center that stage 4 drought conditions are present.
(2) Provide written notification to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center and publish in a newspaper of general circulation in the service area of the water system the proposed emergency restrictions.
(3) York County will impose emergency restrictions on the use of water supplied by the utility, including:
(a) Strongly recommend limiting residential water use to a maximum of 250 gallons per household or REU per day.
(b) Restrict all outdoor water use.
(c) The use of sprinklers, irrigation systems or other remote watering devices is strictly prohibited during a stage 4 drought.
(d) Customers are required to postpone planting of new landscaping until after the emergency drought period has ended. Planting of new ornamental plants or seeding/sodding of lawns is prohibited due to watering limitations. During a stage 4 drought, customers who have newly seeded/sodded lawns that require regular watering to maintain healthy growth may petition for a variance from these emergency restrictions, however these customers are not guaranteed that a variance will be granted.
(e) Strongly encourage all residential water customers to voluntarily reduce overall monthly water usage to less than 75% of the customer's monthly average.
(4) Publicize widely the penalties to be imposed for violations of emergency restrictions and the procedures to be followed if a variance in the restrictions is requested. Expand the use of education and public relations efforts.
(5) Provide written notification monthly to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Drought Information Center regarding the success of the emergency restrictions.
(F) Other declared restrictions; rationing.
(1) If the conservation measures of the plan prove inadequate to mitigate the effects of the drought conditions or water supply availability, the county may take any additional actions or may choose to impose additional restrictions as deemed necessary during any of the phases of drought conditions, including rationing.
(2) Should the drought restrictions imposed by the county's primary water providers or the Drought Management Advisory Group be more or less stringent, the county reserves the right to modify its restrictions to comply and conform to those recommended by the organizations.
(3) If a drought threatens protection of public health and safety, the county is hereby authorized to ration water.
(Ord. 104, passed 1-20-04; Am. Ord. 7208, passed 11-3-08)