City to inspect today for low-flow devices

RALEIGH -- Raleigh officials today are scheduled to start voluntary inspections of offices, hotels, fitness centers and apartments to see whether they have installed low-flow faucets and showerheads.

The city is trying to encourage businesses, especially those whose users do not pay the water bills, to install the devices.

Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker asked all Raleigh water customers to install low-flow faucets and showerheads by March 1. Installation is voluntary, and there are no penalties for not having them.

The City Council has called for inspections of 15 of each type of business. The inspectors will not be inspecting occupied apartments; instead they will look at vacant units.

The effort is in response to the drought that has gripped the region and diminished water supplies. Meeker has called a meeting for Friday with the mayors of all the towns that buy water from Raleigh to review water conservation measures and evaluate possible changes.

THe meeting will be held at 4 p.m. in the Raleigh government complex on W. Hargett Street. The towns that buy water from Raleigh include Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.

Also in response to the drought, the city is:

- Moving toward a new structure for water pricing that would require those who use a lot of water to pay higher rates. The new system is expected to be in place by spring 2009.

- Considering buying 2.5 million gallons of water a day from the town of Cary, which draws water from Jordan Lake.

- Considering "Stage 3" water conservation measures, which would be tougher than the current "Stage 2" restrictions.

- Examining recycling and other conservation measures in the car wash industry. Currently, the city allows car washes that use 55 gallons per car -- an amount the city council has said is unacceptable.