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Thursday, February 09, 2012 By Joshua Jenkins
James Jenkins speaks about the effects of the most recent drought on the Triangle - Joshua Jenkins
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There has been word going around that Durham might go through a dry season. The 2007-2008 droughts in central North Carolina led to critically low levels in many water reservoirs. Citizens of North Carolina say that in 2008, the drought was a really bad time; the supply of water was arguably low.
As a result, the City of Durham established water use restrictions for residential, commercial and industrial customers. The NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Science) receives water from the City of Durham for laboratory, utility and domestic purposes. Most of the water supplied by the City of Durham comes from Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir.
There are some that believe that the impending drought might not be as bad as the one in 2008. Field technician James Jenkins, 43 shared that, “this drought will not be worse than 2008 but about the same.” Jenkins also says, “I think business is mainly affected by these droughts”.
Droughts can also impact private citizens in the county as well. Civics, world history, African American Studies and Student Leadership teacher, Kelvin Bullock states “It could impact everyone, because we would have to have conservation guidelines”.
To conserve water here in Durham , make sure you are using it correctly and not irresponsibly. The toilet is the number one water consuming device in a home, doing the following can reduce water usage during a drought period. Consider taking a family pledge to reduce the number of flushes.
Use a displacement device in the tank if your toilet uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush. If you use a brick, make sure it is enclosed in a plastic bag to prevent deterioration. Another item to use for displacement is a plastic container filled with water. We may need a lot of rain to prevent another drought period, Mr. Jenkins says, “We may need at least 12 inches of rain”.
When spring and summer hits, make sure to save up your water follow the city guidelines.
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