Lincoln County, like many other jurisdictions in the North Carolina Piedmont, has experienced record demand on its water system over the last several weeks.
Despite recent rainfall that has occurred in parts of the local area, overall lack of sufficient rainfall combined with the warm, dry weather of this autumn has led many residents of Lincoln County to increase the practice of using additional water which may exceed supply.
The Catawba-Wateree River Basin entered Stage 1 of the Low Inflow Protocol on November 1, 2023, which is a drought watch stage and has prompted the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group to closely monitor conditions. After observing declining trends, it has been decided to proactively declare Stage 1 conditions. It is hoped that if everyone makes an effort to reduce water consumption at this time, future mandatory restrictions can be avoided.
Lincoln County follows the CW-DMAG protocol for a Stage 1 declaration for water conservation. A Stage 1 Water Shortage, as defined in the Lincoln County Water Conservation Ordinance, indicates the need to voluntarily reduce consumption to avoid any possible future mandatory restrictions. More severe water-use restrictions may be avoided by reducing demand on the water supply reservoirs before the drought conditions worsen. Based on the most recently adopted Schedule of Fees and Charges for Water and Sewer Services (effective July 01, 2023) the rate for water usage over 12,000 gallons per month will increase while voluntary restrictions are active. For additional information, please visit www.LincolnCountyNC.gov. If drought conditions persist and water conservation measures become mandatory, the rate will further increase. The CW-DMAG news release is attached for additional details.
CW-DMAG News Release Stage 1
We encourage our water customers to observe the following VOLUNTARY WATER CONSERVATION guidelines as outlined in the Ordinance:
(a) Limit car washing – use a hose-end nozzle to avoid wasting water;
(b) Limit lawn, garden, and shrubbery watering to the minimum necessary for plants to survive and reuse household water when possible – a healthy lawn needs no more than one inch of water per week – water lawns and shrubbery after 10:00 PM or before 6:00 AM to reduce water losses due to evaporation;
(c) Eliminate washing down of outside areas such as sidewalks, patios, parking lots, service bays or aprons;
(d) Eliminate continuous running of water while shaving or rinsing dishes;
(e) Limit the use of washing machines and dishwashers and operate only when fully loaded;
(f) Use showers instead of bathtubs for bathing and limit showers to no more than four minutes' duration;
(g) Limit flushing of toilets by multiple usage, when possible;
(h) Limit hours of operation of water-cooled air conditioners, when possible;
(i) Use biodegradable and/or disposable dishes to save on dishwashing;
(j) Use flow restriction and other water-saving devices where possible; and
(k) Delay new landscape work until the water shortage has ended.
Drought indicators and demand on our water system will continue to be monitored by Lincoln County, and the public will be notified of any changes in the water shortage conditions. Please call Lincoln County Public Utilities at 704-736-8495 if you have questions.