As water dwindles, families cut back

Easley's plea has residents struggling to figure out how to reduce consumption dramatically

Gov. Mike Easley, meet 4-year-old Luke Murphy of Durham.

In recent days, Luke, with the help of his parents, has been taking baths in a half-full tub in an attempt to adhere to the governor's call to conserve water.

"He keeps asking how many rains have to come until the drought is over," said Stacy Murphy, 36, Luke's mother. "I keep telling him at least 10. After 10 rains we can have a big bath again."

A day after Easley asked North Carolinians to halve their water use by Halloween, people such as the Murphys were left to figure out how. Easley's plea is designed to encourage people, businesses and entire water systems to pare down to the essentials to preserve water supplies during a withering drought.

Easley's calls to conserve water become more urgent by the week. On Tuesday, state officials said 17 North Carolina water systems, including Raleigh and Durham, have 100 or fewer days of water supply remaining before they reach the dregs. But the governor has stopped short of using his office to require cuts in consumption. He has urged conservation but left the details up to local officials.

Bill Holman, former secretary of the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said achieving the governor's goals over any period of time will require more than just reduced showering.

"In the short run, clearly you can skip a shower or not flush the toilet, but to sustain that kind of reduction you've got to basically improve your technology," said Holman, now a senior fellow at Duke University's Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

Holman said such technology already exists in the form of more efficient toilets and faucets.

The governor has said his latest request is necessary to determine the minimal water needed for public health, safety and basic hygiene should the need for rationing arrive.

"There's no way to find that out unless we try this weeklong experiment with everyone pitching in," said Renee Hoffman, an Easley spokeswoman.

Some have taken the governor's call seriously. This week the Murphy family brainstormed 12 water conservation tips and e-mailed them to their Trinity Park neighbors in Durham. The tips include placing a 5-gallon bucket in the shower to capture water for reuse and waiting an extra week or two to wash the sheets.

"A lot of these things are kind of a pain," Stacy Murphy said. "I just really wanted to jump-start a dialogue."

Too little, too late?

Some found Easley's call to arms less than Churchillian. Mac McCorkle, 61, who lives outside Clayton and gets water from a community well, said he and his wife had cut their water use more than 50 percent in recent months. Given that the drought has been going on for months, he said, urging people to conserve now may be too late.

"I think it's a day late and a dollar short," McCorkle said.

Others say the governor's message has them thinking about ways to do more. Bob Ligett gets his water from Chatham County, a Triangle utility that was quicker than most to institute severe restrictions. Ligett said he's not sure how much he has reduced consumption because he still hasn't gotten his water bill for August.

He estimated that most, if not all, of his savings have come from eliminating outside watering and shutting off outside fountains.

"I can't say anything we've done reaches the level of real hardship," Ligett said. "I'm still showering."

As a former science teacher, Raleigh resident Jean Pope said she feels obligated to set a good example.

"We take little bird baths, and major ones when we feel like we can't stand each other," said Pope, who is retired and lives with her husband.

Pope's frugal bathing strategy has been adopted by Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, who said he turns off the water while shampooing in order to keep his showers to less than a minute.

"The other thing, we had a bathroom renovated and had a low-flush toilet installed," Meeker added.

If there is a common thread among people who have achieved substantial reductions in their water use, it is that they long ago gave up watering outside. McCorkle said he sometimes has a problem keeping his composure when he sees people still tending to their lawns.

"It's a little exasperating when you're trying to conserve and your neighbors aren't," he said. "Let's hope we're compensating for all the clowns who are watering their lawns."