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In
partnership with Mecklenburg County LUESA Air
Quality and Solid Waste Divisions, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities
Mecklenburg Utilities
Sponsored by the Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for
Small Business at UNC Charlotte, The Environmental Corner is designed
to serve as an environmental management and pollution prevention resource.
With the drought season well upon us one of the thoughts in the forefront of
our minds is: “When is it going to end?” Rainfall this year has dropped 60
inches throughout Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. It has
impacted the crops, water supply and economic performance for NC. With a
drop like this, eyes should be turning to one major concern, water
conservation. Water conservation is the management
of resources to eliminate waste or maximize efficiency of use. Discover the
current drought status and actions you can take to make a difference in this
newsletter!
October 2007
What is the drought
status of North Carolina and how does it affect small business?
This
past summer has lead North Carolina rivers to have some of the lowest stream
flows in over 110 years. These record low stream flows were recorded from 12
different stations across the state, nine of which are located in central
North Carolina. Even the temperatures of the rivers are changing; the Neuse
River in New Bern has experienced a four degree Fahrenheit change this
August. For the delicate wildlife that depends on the rivers, a temperature
change can spell disaster. Besides the fish, small business can be affected
by this drought as well. Businesses require large amounts of water daily to
operate. A drought creating water rationing could force cut backs on
manufacturing, or even closure, until adequate water was available. But
water usage can be controlled and decreased by simple means if businesses
are willing to learn.
The
status of drought conditions for North Carolina can be monitored through the
USGS website. http://nc.water.usgs.gov/drought. The 7-Day stream
flow data for Charlotte North Carolina area has been ranked at <=5
representing the Severe Hydrologic Drought. The US Drought Monitor Program
lists the Charlotte Region in a D4 – Exceptional Drought status
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/pdfs/nc_dm.pdf
Drought is more than a physical phenomenon or natural event. Its impact
results from the relation between a natural event and demands on the water
supply, and it is often magnified by human activities. Impact of the drought
is tracked through the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) which
reports incidents in categories of agriculture, water and energy, social,
environmental, fire, and others. As of October 8th, North
Carolina has had 61 drought impacts reported for the last month. Each county
can be evaluated for the impacts caused by the local drought condition;
showing Mecklenburg County currently at 15.
http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/map.jsp?&src=&daterange=month&c_ot=on&c_wa=on&year2=2007&year1=2007&c_ag=on&day2=6&scn=nv&day1=6&c_fi=on&c_en=on&month2=10&month1=9&c_so=on&Cmd=sv&st=North%20Carolina
Governor
Mike Easley has sought federal aid for drought assistance in 85 of NC 100
counties. "This drought is devastating our farms, which are a significant
part of the North Carolina economy," Easley said in a statement. "Our
farmers need our help, and this disaster assistance may make a difference
whether some of them can afford to stay in business."
http://www.newsobserver.com/weather/drought/story/682001.html
Top of page
What are the CMU water conservation requirements and
suggestions?
Charlotte Mecklenburg Utility (CMU) went to stage 2 restrictions on August
28. Since these mandatory restrictions took effect, the CMU daily water
demand has averaged 124 million gallons per day. This represents a 19.5
percent reduction in water usage compared to the first 27 days of August.
The status of the NC public water supply systems restrictions, as a result
of drought related causes, is 79 voluntary (13.28%), 84 mandatory (14.12%),
and 0 (0.00%) emergency water conservation status, out of a total of 595
systems that are tracked.
http://www.ncwater.org/Drought_Monitoring/ and
http://www.ncwater.org/Drought_Monitoring/reporting/displaystate.php
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities is the largest public water and waste water
utility in the Carolinas. They have over 750,000 customers in Charlotte and
the greater Mecklenburg area. With that many customers they definitely have
to keep on top of water conservation, and their website gives many helpful
tips to consumers on how to keep their environment clean.
·
Switch out for water
conservation utilities such as a low flow shower heads, faucet aerators,
leak detection tablets, plumbers tape and toilet displacement bags that will
drastic decrease the amount of unnecessary water used.
·
Keep up with the Water
Watch Index for your area.
·
Kitchen grease and
other fats, oils and greases disposed of down drains cause more than 50
percent of all sewage spills. If these were disposed of correctly, many of
the sewage spills that happen every year could be avoided
CMU
has also increased the water restrictions in Mecklenburg due to the drought.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, September 26, the amended water use
restrictions in Mecklenburg are as follows:
·
Lawn watering and the
operation of any sprinkler system are prohibited at all times.
·
The operation of
ornamental fountains (without fish) is not allowed.
·
Residential car washing
and refilling of swimming pools is not allowed (topping off is still OK).
Penalties
CMU will enforce these restrictions, and penalties are based on meter size.
For most residential customers (1.5-inch meter or smaller), penalties begin
at $100 and increase with subsequent offenses. For customers with meters
larger than 1.5 inches (typically commercial), the penalties begin at $200.
CMU has the authority to discontinue service to repeat violators with five
or more violations.
Source:
http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Utilities/WaterSmart/Mandatory+Water+Restrictions.htm
Please
Note: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities cannot restrict water usage from
wells, but citizens with wells are encouraged to follow the same water use
rules and conservation tips to protect their groundwater supply!
Top of page
What Can You Do to Help?
Because of the hot and dreaded days of summer and the ozone, many small
businesses may not realize the importance of conserving water. Because of
this, pollution prevention organizations such as the UNC Charlotte’s
Environmental Assistance Office provide information to small businesses.
Most importantly we guide small business to be aware of conserving and
pollution prevention. Learning to conserve water can be hard;
however, if implemented in their manufacturing processing it may save money
lowering water consumption and sewer charges. Small business may want to
educate employees regarding water conservation and have them actively
participate in saving water. With everyone coming together and conserving
water, we as a society can look forward to a brighter future full of water
for future generations.
Develop
Long Term Water Efficiency Plan
The NC
Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance has developed
a guideline to help state agencies develop a long term water efficiency
plan. This example provides leadership to our business community in
implementing sustainable water practices. The guideline, at
http://www.sustainablenc.org/guidance.htm, provides plan
guidance, a sample plan, and template forms for developing this program.
Suggestions for
Reducing Water Use
Many opportunities
exist for agencies to reduce their water use. These include:
·
Repair leaking faucets, valves and water lines.
·
Install flow restrictors or flow control valves to
reduce water flow.
·
Use timers or foot pedals to run water only when
needed.
·
Eliminate hoses and other water lines with no
flow-control mechanisms.
·
Institute an aggressive preventive maintenance
program.
Examples from Industry
Many companies are
using the following equipment or methods to reduce water use:
·
Conductivity controllers: activate water flow only
when needed.
·
Countercurrent rinses: circulate rinse-water through a
series of two or three rinse tanks, using the same water to rinse parts more
than once.
·
Agitated rinses: ensure that water is well mixed and
consistent throughout the tank.
·
Static or dead rinses: concentrate process chemicals
that can be reused as makeup in the process tank.
Sample
posters and a presentation which could be adapted for training has been
prepared by NC Division of Pollution Prevention http://www.p2pays.org/water/posters.asp
Sources:
http://www.p2pays.org/ref/09/08139.pdf
http://www.tvwd.org/conservation/business_tips.pdf
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2002/2002-08-10-usa-drought.htm
In addition to conservation at your
business, make changes in your home to lower water usage. The California
based website,
http://www.h2ouse.org/, allows one to evaluate different rooms in a home for
potential conservation and sustainable water practices, provides top
conservation techniques for home and garden, and includes a water budget
calculator. These tips combined with NC DEPP (http://p2pays.org/water/WaterConservation.asp) are listed below.
Suggestions for
Reducing Water Use At Home
·
Stop Those Leaks!
·
Replace your old Toilet, the largest water user inside
your home
·
Replace your clothes washer, the second largest water
user in your home, with a more efficient model.
·
Plant the right plants with proper landscape design &
irrigation
·
Avoid using sink disposals for food scraps.
·
Water only what your plants need
·
Use outdoor water wisely; only water 1”/week at early
morning or evening to allow roots to grow deep and prevent loss of water due
to evaporation. (After water restriction is removed; currently no watering
is allowed)
·
Use indoor water wisely; turn off water while brushing
teeth, lathering soap, or shampooing.
·
Know your plumbing; be able to close main water valve
in case of a leak.
·
Use dry cleanup; sweep up instead of washing up.
·
Take advantage of free water; catch rain water or
reuse water in your home.
·
Use appliances wisely; run only when full.
·
Use a commercial carwash that recycles water.
You can make a difference! Why not start
TODAY!
Top of page
Environmental Assistance Office (EAO) for
Small Business
The Environmental Assistance
Office for Small Business provides non-regulatory, client-confidential
pollution prevention assistance to small businesses in the greater Charlotte
region. The EAO is designed to assist regional businesses in their efforts
to voluntarily prevent pollution. The EAO staff can provide timely
assistance for pollution prevention planning, including information about
industry-specific case studies, waste-specific case studies, and new
technologies. The office provides links of resources to needs between the
region's business community, government, municipality, and university. If
there is a particular issue or question you would like to see in an upcoming
edition, please send an e-mail to EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Contact Information:
Environmental Assistance Office for Small Business:
9201
University City Blvd. 258 Cameron Building, UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
28233-0001
Phone
number: 704-687-3968 Fax number: 704-687-3115
Email:
EAOforSB@email.uncc.edu
Services:
·
Assistance with Air Permits - Assistance
for small businesses in completing paperwork for EPA air permits.
·
Educational Materials - Educational
pamphlet, brochures, flyers, and other materials to relate facts on
pollution prevention.
·
Educational Outreach - Develop educational
outreach campaigns and presentations for the public or employee training.
·
University Resources - Library
information, faculty expertise, student projects and research at both
graduate and undergraduate levels.
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