Water Restrictions Could Come To Anderson, Western N.C. Counties Declared Disaster Areas

Scott Willett, Executive Director of the Anderson Regional Joint Water Systems, said county-wide water restrictions could be in effect by the middle of next week in Anderson after the county received news of Hartwell Lake’s record low water mark.

Willett says the record low for was 642 feet, back in 1981, and the Army Corp of Engineers says the level today is 639.43 feet.

The water intake pumps will no longer be able to intake water at the level of 620, which is projected to be about 300 days away.

When the lake is at regular capacity, they have about 1000 days of water stored, but more importantly, the feeder waterways going into the lake are flowing.

His biggest concern, he said, is not the level, but that no water is flowing into it.

If the water drops below 620, they would have to install new pipes and pumps further into the lake, to pump water there to the intake station. The cost of new pipes and pumps would be passed on to the customers.

If no significant change has been made by February, they’ll begin installing new pumps/pipes.

Willett said the Anderson Regional Water System serves a total of 210,000 customers, including Clemson and Anderson Universities, and would impose restrictions if the level of Hartwell Lake reaches 638 feet which is predicted to be next week.

Member agencies of the Anderson Regional Joint Water Systems:
Belton-Honea Path Water Authority
Big Creek Water & Sewerage District
Broadway Water & Sewerage District
City of Anderson
City of Clemson
Clemson University
Hammond Water District
Homeland Park Water District
Powdersville Water District
Sandy Springs Water District
Starr-Iva Water and Sewer District
Town of Central
Town of Pendleton
Town of Williamston
West Anderson Water District

While Anderson battles water loss in their area, North Carolina is facing its share of drought-related difficutlties.

Gov. Mike Easley designated 59 North Carolina Counties as disaster areas due to drought-related crop damage, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

Four of the counties in Western North Carolina were returned to Worth Drought Category.

This designation makes the farmers in the 59 counties eligible for relief from federal agencies.

Read the complete release below:

GOV. EASLEY ANNOUNCES 59 N.C. COUNTIES DESIGNATED DISASTER AREAS DUE TO DROUGHT-RELATED CROP DAMAGE
Conservation Urged As Four Western N.C. Counties Return to Worst Drought Category

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted his request to have 59 counties designated as disaster areas due to crop losses caused by drought and extreme heat during 2008. Easley had asked for the disaster declaration on Oct. 3 due to excessive agricultural losses for at least one major crop, and significant losses on corn, soybeans, hay, and pasture and other forage crops. He also called for residents to continue water conservation efforts, especially in western North Carolina, which has not experienced the recovery from the drought seen in other parts of the state.

“I am pleased the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved our call to help an industry that is a significant part of the North Carolina economy,” said Easley. “While most parts of the state have now recovered from the drought, that does not change the fact that many of our farmers suffered crop losses due to drought for two straight years, and they need help to recover.”

The 59 counties approved in Easley’s request are:
Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Beaufort, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Cleveland, Columbus, Craven, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Gates, Graham, Greene, Haywood, Henderson, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lenoir, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Polk, Robeson, Rockingham, Rutherford, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Washington , Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, and Yadkin.

Under USDA rules, 37 contiguous counties were also included in the disaster declaration. Those counties are:
Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Bertie, Bladen, Camden, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Cumberland, Dare, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Iredell, Johnston, Lincoln, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Stokes, Union, Wake, Warren, and Yancey.

The declaration makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for assistance from the U.S. Farm Service Agency, provided eligibility requirements are met. Assistance includes low interest emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program approved as part of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008.

Farmers should contact the Farm Service Agency office in their county for more information. For county FSA contact information, go to www.fsa.usda.gov and click on “State Offices,” then on “North Carolina” and “County Offices.”

Last Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor returned four western counties to exceptional drought, the worst level of the four drought categories. Clay, Jackson, Macon and Transylvania counties are back in exceptional drought due to the majority of stream flow measurements being at or near record lows.

“Autumn is usually one of our driest times of the year, so there is little chance of getting enough rain to pull these counties out of the drought before hot weather and increased water demands return next year,” Easley said. “Conditions could get worse before they improve, so in western North Carolina especially, people should be saving water wherever they can.”

In addition to the four counties in exceptional drought, 10 counties are in extreme drought, 13 counties are in severe drought, 29 counties are in a moderate drought, 17 counties are abnormally dry and the remaining 27 counties are in no category at all. Abnormally dry conditions indicate that drought is not present but could return without adequate rainfall.

Many residents continue to heed the governor’s calls for water conservation. More than 3.14 million people, or 73 percent of the people who receive water from systems the state tracks, must adhere to voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions, according to the state Division of Water Resources. For more information on the drought or water conservation, go to www.SaveWaterNC.org.