Seen in the News Observer:
Durham, with just 59 days left in its main water supply, could be on the front lines of this worst-case scenario.
Up to now, the prospect has been too far-fetched to entertain in detail, which is why there are few specifics in Durham ordinances about what would happen if the drought doesn’t let up. Raleigh also lacks a set plan for an end-times-type drought.[...]
Stage VI water restrictions lie down the road if things get desperate. The few specifics in the ordinance include using untreated water to put out fires when possible and banning any industrial water uses. All residents will be told to use disposable plates and utensils. Duke University, Durham County’s largest water user, already has taken this step in its dining halls, trading china for throwaway plates.
The Stage VI ordinance ends on a vague note. “All other uses of water will be limited to those necessary to meet minimum health and safety needs of the customers as determined by the city manager,” it says.
Let’s see. It’s been two years since New Orleans was nearly wiped off the map—an event aggravated by a lack of a disaster plan. You’d think that we would have learned by now that it pays to consider what sorts of bad things can happen to a community or a region, and plan in advance for what sorts of things might be done if the unthinkable occurs.