Drought in the South

[seeitrun2006]

Is anyone else in the country affected by severe drought? We are having severe drought conditions here. The worst I have seen since 1981 in fact I think it's worst this time around.

I live in North Georgia-Jackson county about 50 miles north of Atlanta. They are telling us if we do not get significant rainfall soon we could be facing water rations by Christmas. The Bear Creek reservoir where our water comes from is dangerously low. It down to the point where the water processing facility is pumping up all the minerals that has settled to the bottom requiring them to use more chemicals to treat the water.

My wife and I only run the clothes washer when we have too with full loads. We've have stopped using the dishwasher using paper and plastic as much as we can.

I've started looking into replaceing our TL GE we bought a couple of years ago with a Whirlpool Duet washer to cut down on water usage. But I am not ready to pay $1100.00 for a FL washer just yet. Since we don't have kids I feel we do not use as much water as a housewhole with 3 to 4 children would use.

I guess all we can do is pray for rain!

Anyone know any good rain dances?

Later!
David

 

[frigilux]

I'll dance as fast as I can!

We were in a severe drought for most of the summer, then received a boat-load of rain over two weeks this Fall, so I think we're getting back to normal. We moved to stage 2 watering restrictions (no watering using a hose---buckets only) for just over a week, then the rains came, thankfully. Was the first time we ever moved to stage 2 in the 20+ years I've lived here.

 

[DADoES]

Rained like monsoon season earlier in the summer, has been dry for several weeks. My ditch has pretty much dried out, which is unusual.

 

[brisnat81]

We're up to Level 5

About to go into Level 6 Restrictions.

The combined level of all water storage in the South East Queensland area, got down as low as 15.6% in August. We've had some rain, which pushed things up to 21%, which allows for an additional 6 months supply of water. We're now comming up to 2 months again, since there has been any rain over the catchment.

It is now requested that eash person keep their water usage down to 140L per person per day, and any household using more than 800L per day, must complete a water usuage survey to explain why they are using so much. If there is no legitimate reason, and the household fails to reduce their usuage, they face being fined, or having their water pressure reduced.

The use of water outside the home is banned for washing hard surfaces. This includes Windows, Cars and concrete. Plants can be bucket watered 3 days a week, before 8am and after 7pm.

The Level 6 restrictions are going to be geared towards business cutting their water usuage, whilst they've already made inroads, there is still huge room for improvement. Any business using more than 1ML of water per day, will need to submit a water usage plan to show how they are going to decrease usage, or else face being fined. At the other end, its getting things like efficient toilets, waterless or smart urinals, and low flow aerators on taps into Office buildings.

On the upside, most people have managed to reduce their water usage down to the 140L per day. For us, we've gone from 450L per day, down to 288L.

Our State govt has spent no money on Infrastructure to deal with the population boom that has occured in SEQ over the last 20 years. Whilst they've now commissioned a desalination plant, and water recycling facilities, they arent due to come online until October next year, which is 2 months before the water is due to run out.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting that we'll have a summer with normal weather patterns, IE lots of storms and tropical lows. All we can do for now is cross our fingers and hope.

 

[bobbyderegis]

Hasn't rained in the Northeast all Summer. We are DRY!
Bobby in Boston

 

[petek]

It's been bone dry around here most of the summer as well and what little rain we did get didn't amount to anything. Most of the cornfields are a loss, stunted at about 2ft. We have a sandpoint well in the backyard hooked up to an irrigation system to keep the lawn and most of the flower beds watered but I've been fairly prudent in not over doing things. Just this morning I noticed all of our cedar hedging around the backyard perimeter, about 200 bushes, are all yellowing so I spent a good 2 hours with the hose and some Miracle Grow mir-acid spraying them. I don't want to lose them. Lawn watering restrictions are based on odd/even number days per your house address number but tree's and shrubs can be watered anyday.
And look at today again, sunny and 77 deg continuing and no rain in sight. It's a beautiful October.

 

[Washinsheen]

San Diego

Dry as a bone, here in San Diego. Our last significant rain was back in April. We had a few "teaser" showers a week or two ago, but that's it.

 

[danemodsandy]

"I live in North Georgia-Jackson county about 50 miles north of Atlanta. They are telling us if we do not get significant rainfall soon we could be facing water rations by Christmas."

Now come on- if there's not a drought, blizzard, monsoon, tornado, sirocco, or ice storm here in Atlanta, Glenn Burns doesn't have anything to get operatic about.

Those of you not in Atlanta, be grateful you don't have to watch Burns. It's like encountering the love child of Bette Davis and Richard Simmons- drama PLUS.

 

[maytagbear]

Who is

this Glenn Burns person? Is he someone on the television there in Metro Atlanta?

I stopped watching tee vee "news", and don't feel substantially less informed. I read the papers and listen to NPR.

As for the water, I think we're currently ok in Northeastern Ohio, but it has been a weird summer as far as the weather goes.

David...the Frigidaire front loaders are worth considering, and are inexpensive for Fl's.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[washertalk]

It was very dry in Wisconsin until recently.

David, I think I would agree with the purchase of a Frigidaire FL, too. You could consider Craigslist or Ebay for something used if you are looking to save money.

Lawrence, I understand your hesitance on the corporate owned television news. But watch out for NPR, which used to be reliable and unbiased. They have had their arm twisted with the threat of defunding and as a result you will get some of the same propaganda that fox and ABC are dumping out. These days, to get reliable news of what is REALLY going on in the U.S. you need to go to Canada or the U.K. (BBC). Sad but true.

 

[appnut]

Until the end of august, we had like the wettest or 2nd wettest year up to that point on record with like 32 inches of rain. Now it's getting dry. very dry. when I do, it will be the first time the sprinklers have been on all year.

 

[tolivac]

Its dry my way-the lake in my neighborhood "Lake Glenwood" is very low.Peirs in the lake from the backyards of homes on the lake are now sitting on dry lakebed.The geese and ducks cover the lake when they land.they are interesting to watch thru binoculars.We do need some rain here.--but no hurricanes!

 

[danemodsandy]

Lawrence:

"Who is this Glenn Burns person? Is he someone on the television there in Metro Atlanta?"

I could have mentioned that, couldn't I? Yep, Burns is the chief meteorologist for WSB-TV here in Atlanta. He's famous for dramatising everything to the hilt, and beyond. He also drags everything to a local level, especially when teasing the weather segment- "Tidal wave in Saipan- could it happen HEEEEEEERE?" (I exaggerate only slightly.)

Impressionable viewers are then locked to their sets until Glenn's segment comes on, at which point they're informed that a tidal wave is not jolly likely, but that it will be partly cloudy tomorrow. His accuracy is almost laughable- we were told day before yesterday that the drought continues. We've had two days of rain.

If remarkable weather does occur (snow, tornadoes, etc.), Glenn comes on and gibbers and capers for what seems like hours, going over what's happening in each and every county and hamlet in the Metro area, again and again and again. He has not yet spoken in tongues on the show, but I expect it to happen any day now.

WSB's other weather people (David Chandley, Karen Minton, and Brad Nitz), are perfectly normal.

 

[seeitrun2006]

Glenn Burns-Atlanta Weather person

I don't listen to Glenn Burns or any news for that matter. I have not listened to news on a regular basis in about 15 years. Most of the time I read what I want to know about on the internet.

The facts about the drought and our water situation in Jackson county comes directly from our once a week local newspaper with photographs on how low the reservoir is.

Channel 2 news in Atlanta is the worse to over dramatize everything especially Monica Kaffman Pierce. She is one of the primary reasons I quit listening to the news. If it's not a murder, robbery or rape that occurs in Atlanta every ten seconds then they feel it's not news worthy.

CHANGING SUBJECT:

The Frigidaire FL's is that the Infinity models? My laundry room is on a tiled floor with a crawl space beneath. Do these Frigidaires vibrate and dance around a lot? I've seen them in Lowes and they look like faily good machines. My laundry room is just on the other side of the wall from our bedroom so how thay function in the spin cycle is a concern.

Thanks!
David

 

[perc-o-prince]

2 hours with the hose and some Miracle Grow mir-acid

Be careful adding anything other than water to a plant or tree when it's in a distressed state. It can actually do more harm than good by burning or otherwise damaging roots that aren't strong enough to take it!

Chuck

 

[danemodsandy]

Monica Pearson

Yeah, Ol' Monica is pretty famous for her dramatic line readings, too. She's especially prone to editorialising with her facial expressions. When something really distasteful has happened (say a rape), Monica cannot read the story without pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows, as if to say, "I don't approve of such things." Just read the news, lady! And if you don't want to read such stories out loud on the air, try getting with the station's brass about finding other stories that aren't about murder, armed robbery, pit bulls snacking on kids, or meth busts. Lord knows we viewers would be grateful for the break.

 

[askomiele]

Well we have water as plenty as we want (but offcourse we are in belgium, the summer forgot to come over here). But don't understand few details:s In generale we use in belgium 140L a day max... eum jup we have fl washers a normal flushing toilet but no lawn watering and flower bed watering. It's not forbiddn but most people here don't water their lawns. And here every new house or rebuilded one must have a raincontainer that holds 7500L max. of free water to wash, flush watering lawns, even shower or bath. Water here is very expensive 2.66 euros/1000L or so (euh donno how to calcul it in american ways...) But with the recuperation of rainwater we can save at least 80% of the water bill. O we have 15000L water per person for free.

 

[seeitrun2006]

Watering yards

I have never bought into the idea of watering grass. I see as such a waste of water. My in-laws have often made fun of me not watering "your grass is just going to burn up". They were never much on conserving natural resources but rather "keeping up with the Jones". I've never been one to try to impress my neigbors.

Now I water my flowering plants when they are in season.

 

[toggleswitch]

~I have never bought into the idea of watering grass.

Don't mow it so low, and when you DO water it let it soak VERY well, but don't water as frequently. This ecourages the roots to grow down deeper, where there is more water that does not evaporate as quickly.

The overall result is a more resilient lawn.