Raleigh water limits may sink summer fun

Fast greens and sweaty days could be on the horizon as golf courses and empty swimming pools bear the brunt of limits taking effect today in Raleigh's water service area

RALEIGH -- Strict new water conservation rules begin today in Raleigh, and if they stick around they could put a serious damper on summer fun.

For residential customers who long ago stopped watering their lawns and gardens, Raleigh's toughest rules are likely to hit home when they try to cool off or head to the golf course later this year.

Among the activities now forbidden under so-called "Stage 2" restrictions: sprinkling putting greens, filling a swimming pool or a kiddie pool or even wetting a Slip-n-Slide with city water.

Thus far, the absence of such leisure activities has been overshadowed by the immediate pain that will be felt by landscapers, power washers and other businesses that use drinking water to make money. But consider this: If your local swimming pool is empty today, it can be filled only with water trucked in from some other source, a costly and labor-intensive operation. Municipal pools are not exempt, meaning three of Raleigh's eight public pools may not open this summer.

Pools at Chavis Park, Lake Johnson and Longview were drained this winter because they are made of concrete. Terri Stroupe, Raleigh's aquatics director, said keeping an outdoor concrete pool full in the winter shortens its lifespan.

Raleigh has no money set aside to refill the pools, but Stroupe hopes that changes before the three are scheduled to open June 14.

"We're looking at alternatives," said Stroupe, noting that each pool holds more than 100,000 gallons. "We don't have any idea what it's going to be yet. It's obviously not going to be cheap."

Last year, the pools at Chavis, Lake Johnson and Longview had more than 50,000 visitors combined. Lake Johnson was the city's busiest outdoor pool now that Optimist is closed for repairs.

Lonette Williams, chairman of the Central Citizens Advisory Council, said many Southeast Raleigh residents rely on Chavis in the summer.

"That would be devastating," Williams said of the possibility that the pool won't open. "Many of these parents don't have personal transportation. They rely on being within walking distance of leisure activities during the summer."

A new handicap

The new rules also will likely be felt by some golfers, particularly when they pull out their putters.

Until today, golf courses using drinking water for irrigation were allowed to water their greens by hand.

While many courses served by Raleigh's water system use mostly pond or well water to irrigate, the Raleigh Country Club and the Carolina Country Club do not.

The Raleigh Country Club in East Raleigh has been working with officials for several years to tie into a reclaimed water system that the city is building. But that system isn't expected to reach the course until 2009.

In the meantime, maintaining the course under the new rules will require using every gulp of water from its few water hazards, said Christian Anastasiadis, the Raleigh County Club's chief operating officer.

"It's going to be tough for us," Anastasiadis said. "We'll make the best out of the situation."

Anastasiadis is concerned about the course's greens, not its fairways. The fairways are made of drought-resistant Bermuda grass, while the greens are made of bent grass, which needs regular water.

Spreading the pain

The new rules also will apply to pools and golf courses in the six Wake County towns that buy Raleigh water -- Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.

Andy Ammons, the Wake Forest developer of the Heritage community, said his company will likely bring in water to fill up a new pool scheduled to open this summer.

"In the short term, it will cause a lot more hurdles to jump over and more money to be spent," he said.

Ammons said the new rules also represent an opportunity for places such as Heritage to become more efficient in its water consumption.

As for golfers having to deal with lightning-fast greens, Ammons said there are more important things to worry about.

"Golfers may need to get by with a different level of standard on the golf course," he said. "We've kind of gotten spoiled around here."