Gov. Mike Easley signed into law Thursday legislation that changes how North Carolina will respond to droughts.

Surrounded by state lawmakers and environmental officials, Easley said the legislation gives the state new tools to use before and during water shortages, David Ingram reports.

"We're not on the path to modernize every water system in the state," he said.

The legislation makes it easier for the governor to declare a drought emergency, including local emergencies.

It also gives state officials the authority to require localities to adopt and enforce conservation measures, and it requires users of more than 10,000 gallons of water a day for agriculture to report usage to state agricultural officials.

"It was badly needed, as North Carolina enters a situation where we don't have as much water as we used to and the demands are much greater," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat.

The House approved a bill that gives state officials power to mandate water conservation.

The 84 to 27 vote came after an unsuccessful attempt to add a requirement for separate water meters for in-ground sprinkler systems.

The bill gives state leaders the power to force cities and towns to cut their water use during a drought. State officials could not impose specific rules, such as a ban on car washing, but they would be able to order municipalities to implement conservation plans.

The plans would have to be written in advance and approved by the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

If the initial plans did not save enough water, the state could order them to try even harsher measures. (N&O) 

A drought bill cleared a legislative committee Tuesday, offering a chance that the legislature will pass a drought law this session.

Environmental groups, municipalities, industry types, the legislature and the governor's office have struggled to reach agreement on exactly how the state should respond to a drought. Lawmakers, representatives of the governor and others were up until 3 a.m. this morning trying to hammer out a compromise, officials said.

The version of the bill that got a favorable report from the House Environment and Natural Resources on Tuesday requires water systems to file drought plans with the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The department could reject inadequate plans. In cases of severe, extreme or exceptional drought, the department could force a water system to implement it's plan, and if the plan falls short of conservation goals, state officials could force a water system to implement harsher restrictions.

A previous version of the bill gave the state's chief environment official the power to impose water restrictions.

Some lawmakers complained Tuesday that the bill doesn't do enough to support conservation efforts through education.

Rep. Pryor Gibson, a Wadesboro Democrat and one of bill's primary sponsors, said that he supports doing more, but that just hammering out the current version was a struggle.

"Should we add more things it it? Absolutely. Can we get the votes for it on this complex bill? I don't know," Gibson said. 

The governor's office and the League of Municipalities support the current bill, which is H 2499.

A mixed group worked Monday on new rules for water use during droughts.

The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources had proposed a law that drew fire from almost everyone who tracks their own water usage. So state administrators, environmentalists, private water companies and the agriculture industry met to work on a compromise.

Already, farm interests have negotiated an exemption from having to register water use of less than 1 million gallons a day. Instead, they will report use in a confidential survey, which will be made available in aggregate form.

Local governments would be allowed to decide the measures they take to meet conservation goals, rather than having the state dictate them.

No legislative committee has debated the bill, and legislators have only a few weeks to work out the drought rules, depending on how long the budget process takes. (N&O)

State administrators and representatives of cities and counties, the agriculture industry, private water companies and environmentalists worked Monday to try to come up with proposed rules for water-use during droughts.

The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources had proposed a law that drew fire from almost everyone who has to account for how much water they use, Lynn Bonner reports. A group is working on a compromise that has a chance of becoming law.

Already, farm interests have negotiated a change in the administration's proposal so they  will continue to be exempt from having to register water use of less than 1 million gallons a day. Instead, they will report water use in a confidential survey, and the state Department of Agriculture will report aggregate figures to the state.

The DENR had proposed uniform conservation measures for local governments according to their drought classification. For example, all cities and counties in extreme drought would have to impose the same conservation measures.

That provision was changed to let the local governments decide what measures they will use to meet water-saving targets.

No legislative committee has yet debated the bill, and there may be only a few weeks left for legislators to work, depending on how quickly the House and Senate agree on a budget.
Robin Smith, a DENR assistant secretary, urged the group to move on a proposal, which she said would be vital to the state in droughts.

She reminded the group that the state is in a drought now, and conditions are worse than last year at this time.

"Everybody knows we may not have a great deal of time left in this session," she said. "I would hate to see time run out on this."

Gov. Mike Easley is calling on lawmakers to get to work on drought legislation.

Easley released a statement today noting that the legislature has been in town five weeks, but has yet to take up his proposal to give the state a greater role in local water conservation.

"We have a drought this year and the legislature needs to act this year," Easley said.

Various interest groups, including cities and farming interests, have opposed the measure. Key legislators have said the differences may make it difficult to act on the proposal this year.

Legislators have yet to publicly debate water conservation.

Just months after the worst recorded drought in state history, state lawmakers have not yet discussed some of Gov. Mike Easley's proposed solutions, including giving the state a greater role in local conservation efforts.

Cities, towns and farm interests have protested some of the measures, while private companies have asked for change.

Rep. Lucy Allen, a Democratic cochairwoman of the House committee handling the bill, tamped down expectations for major changes this year. She said some parts of the legislation will be addressed in a study of the state's water resources due by 2010.

"I don't know how much we can accomplish," she said, other than to "identify what can be the low-hanging fruit first."

Environmentalists worry that if action isn't taken when memories of the drought are fresh, it may never be taken at all. (N&O) 

The state's drought mascot has a name.

Conservin' Irvin will be featured on drought education materials. He was named by Jane Patterson's first and second grade exceptional education class at Deep River Elementary School in Sanford.

Gov. Mike Easley asked the state's elementary school students to suggest names for the mascot and 829 classes sent in entries. The winning name was picked by a committe of employees from the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, the two agencies that would take the lead for the state in drought management.

The News & Observer recently asked readers to suggest other public policy problem mascots. Dome is thinking that Easley has had a tough time of things lately. Maybe his office could use a mascot. Anyone have suggestions?

Fresh off the worst recorded drought in state history, lawmakers get a look today at a package of proposals to strengthen North Carolina's water-use rules.

Gov. Mike Easley's office and the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources

have drafted a bill that would set minimum state water conservation requirements during droughts.

Under the proposed legislation, if municipal water supplies drop below a certain level, these minimum standards would kick in, intensifying as drinking water reserves continued to dwindle. Cities could do more to save water in dry times, but not less.

And the law would give more consumers a common set of water rules instead of the current hodgepodge of limits that vary from town to town. The ultimate goal: a shared language of water conservation, with categories of restrictions that mean the same in Asheville or Goldsboro as they do in the Triangle.

The proposal also would require farmers to register their water use if it exceeds 100,000 gallons a day, down from a current reporting threshold of 1 million gallons a day for agricultural uses.

Farm groups oppose it. (N&O)