Water Not a Worry in Holly Springs 03/13/06

As March Madness sweeps over college basketball, an early spring has many fans seeking their own home court advantage with a starting lineup of grass seed and fertilizer.

Unlike in some places, lawn watering anytime is not a foul in Holly Springs. The Town has no watering restrictions.

"While we support conservation, we do not have to make it a mandatory requirement," Town Manager Carl Dean said Monday, crediting Town Council support of infrastructure to ensure a second source of water.

Holly Springs has avoided the need for restrictions since completing a water line to a treatment plant in Lillington that Harnett County owns. The plant draws from the Cape Fear River.

The water line is large enough to carry 10 million gallons of water a day - three or four times what Holly Springs is expected to need this summer.

"The Harnett County line is allowing Holly Springs to be in a much better position than other towns our size," Dean said, noting the emphasis on maximizing self-sufficiency.

"Because water is such a valuable resource," he said, "we felt it was important to make sure the Town had a [dependable] supply."

In addition to Harnett County, Holly Springs obtains some water from the city of Raleigh.

To help Raleigh conserve Falls Lake, Holly Springs has sharply reduced water purchases from Raleigh. Holly Springs has increased the amount of water it gets from Harnett County, which is not under mandatory restrictions.

Town officials are assessing Holly Springs' water needs over the next 10 to 20 years as Harnett County officials plan for expansion of the treatment plant in Lillington.

By using the river for water supply, Dean said, "We're not as much at the mercy of drought conditions."

Home page

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us