Watering Rules Take Effect 6/12/07

The Town of Holly Springs has imposed mandatory alternate day watering restrictions for irrigation systems in light of drought.

“I think everybody recognizes we're in a drought situation, and we need to be responsible,” Town Manager Carl Dean said.

The ordinance limits use of sprinklers or irrigation systems to three days a week, depending on the address. Here is the schedule:

• Even-number addresses ( 100 Main St. ) – Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday
• Odd-number addresses ( 101 Main St. ) – Wednesday, Friday or Sunday
• No use of irrigation systems anywhere on Monday

Exceptions are granted case-by-case for seeding or sodding lawns. For more information, contact the Town Clerk's office at (919) 557-3900.

The alternate day restrictions do not apply to hand-held hoses or watering cans. Power washing, car washing, filling swimming pools and recreational uses also are not restricted.

In 1998, The Holly Springs Town Council adopted an ordinance allowing restrictions on lawn irrigation and other non-essential uses from May through September. Restrictions take effect when the council votes to implement them. If the drought worsens, the council could move beyond the alternate day limitation.

The Town of Holly Springs has two sources of water. It buys most of its water from Harnett County, which draws from the Cape Fear River. The Town also obtains water from the city of Raleigh, which uses Falls Lake.

The Raleigh City Council has approved year-round lawn irrigation restrictions, using the same odd-even system that Holly Springs is implementing. Harnett County is asking its customers to conserve under a different alternate day schedule and to avoid other non-essential uses of drinking water.

“We need to be good stewards of our resources, not only for us but for others,” Dean said.

Lawns require only one inch of water per week, including rainfall, to survive. Therefore residents are reminded that they do not have to run sprinklers on all three days that the alternate day schedule allows.

For more information on the water conservation ordinance, contact the Town Clerk's office. For more on water conservation, call Public Utilities at (919) 577-1090.

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