News

City notches up water conservation alert

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 5, 2023

The city of Hendersonville is upgrading the Water Shortage Advisory issued on Sept. 28 to the next stage of water conservation requirements.

City Manager John Connet declared the Stage 2A Water Shortage Alert effective midnight Thursday, Oct. 5. The Water Shortage Alert includes a strong request to the community to conserve water. The escalation from Advisory to Alert was prompted by drought conditions and continued lower-than-normal flow levels on the Mills River. 

“We are experiencing a drought in our area, and we are urging our customers to be water wise,” Connet said. “Our team at Hendersonville Water & Sewer has been diligently monitoring the water levels in the Mills River, and we unfortunately have not received any substantial rain events to replenish the levels in the watershed. We have instituted a Stage 2A Water Shortage Alert to eliminate non-essential water use.”  

In a Stage 2A Water Shortage Alert all customers are expected to reduce their water use by employing water use conservation and efficiency measures by 20%. If conditions continue to worsen, the utility has the authority to charge fees to customers who are in violation of the ordinance. 

“Our water system and Water Treatment Facility are fully operational, but we are continuing to ask our approximately 80,000 water customers to work with us to conserve water,” said Utilities Director Adam Steurer. “Since we issued a Water Shortage Advisory on September 28th, our treatment facility operators have seen a slight reduction in water use. We appreciate our customers voluntarily taking steps to conserve, however with levels in the watershed continuing to lessen and with no substantial rain in the forecast, the utility has a responsibility to its customers to upgrade to a Water Shortage Alert to ensure that essential water uses can occur without interruption.” 

In addition to following the conservation recommendations listed below, the following restrictions apply during a Stage 2A Water Shortage Alert: only irrigating landscapes as needed to insure survival of plants; washing of vehicles is prohibited unless done by a vehicle washing facility that is equipped to recycle water; eliminating all non-commercial pressure washing and the washing down of impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, etc.; halting the filling of swimming pools; and limiting hydrant use other than for fire suppression and public safety uses. 

All water customers are strongly requested to conserve water using the following recommendations:  

• No car washing except by commercial facilities equipped to recycle water;  
• Do not wash down outside areas such as sidewalks, patios, parking lots, service bays, aprons, etc.;   
• Limit lawn and garden watering to only that which is necessary for plants to survive, reusing household water or reclaimed water when possible;   
• Do not leave faucets running while shaving, brushing teeth, or rinsing dishes;   
• Limit flushing of toilets by multiple usage;   
• Limit use of clothes washers and dishwashers, and when used, operate fully loaded;   
• Take showers rather than bathing and limit the duration of showers;   
• The use of disposable and biodegradable dishes is encouraged;   
• The use of flow-restrictive and water-saving devices is encouraged;   
• Limit hours of operation of water-cooled air conditioners;   
• All residents, businesses, and institutions are requested to temporarily delay new landscape work until the water shortage has ended.  

"Our utility is currently constructing an additional water intake on the French Broad River,” Steurer said. “This project will add a fourth water source and help the system to become more resistant to drought.” The French Broad River intake and pumping station is expected to be completed next summer. Hendersonville City Council and utility leaders have been working toward this $23.5 million dollar project for a number of years to enhance the resiliency of the utility system and lay the foundation for the future.  

Other steps water customers can take in addition to the conservation measures listed above are identifying and repairing household water leaks to reduce wasted water and save money in the process. The City offers a service called AquaHawk Alerting for water customers. This free service offers information about water usage, allows customers to receive alerts when usage indicates a leak, and gives more control over household water expenses. Customers can monitor how their water conservation efforts are reflected in their usage totals. Visit www.hvlnc.gov/aquahawk to sign up.  

The city’s Stormwater Division offers a rain barrel program where community members can purchase discounted rain barrels to capture rainwater for irrigation. For more information visit https://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/news/city-hendersonville-continues-rain-barrel-program.