UPDATE: April 16, 2009–Stage 1 Drought/Voluntary Conservation

The City of Rock Hill has declared a Stage 1 Drought/Voluntary Conservation based on drought and water storage indicators as established by the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (DMAG), the Drought Response Committee for the State of South Carolina and the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP). The City of Rock Hill Drought Response Ordinance (Chapter 29. Article IV.) outlines Stage 1 Drought/VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION as a moderate water supply shortage, with the specific goal during this stage to achieve a 3-5 percent reduction in overall water use.

Customers are encouraged to maintain successful conservation measures, including voluntary reductions in the use of water for all purposes and voluntary reductions on using water during certain peak water demand periods. To accomplish the 3-5 percent reduction goal, the City requests customers to take the following voluntary conservation actions:

• Voluntary reduction of residential water use to a maximum of 350 gallons per household per day;
• For landscape design and maintenance, the use of low-volume, handheld watering applications is encouraged. Reduce the use of sprinklers, irrigation systems or other remote landscape watering devices to no more than two days per week;
• Reduce the washing down of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts and other hard surfaced areas;
• Reduce the washing down of buildings for purposes other than immediate fire protection;
• Reduce the flushing of gutters;
• Reduce the domestic washing of motorbikes, boats, automobiles, etc.;
• Reduce the use of water to maintain fountains, reflection ponds and decorative water bodies for aesthetic or scenic purposes, except when necessary to support aquatic life.

More voluntary conservation measures are also included in the ordinance. In addition, water conservation tips are available on the City website and at the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense website at www.epa.gov/watersense.

Conservation Tips 

For questions about water restrictions, public water customers in Rock Hill may call the City of Rock Hill’s water hotline at 803/326-2450. York County water customers should call 803/628 2919, Town of Fort Mill water customers can call 803/548-3353, and Tega Cay residents can call 803/548-3512.