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Living With Water Restrictions
Water supply shortages and use restrictions are taking center stage, as severe droughts and a growing population are demanding water in excess of the available supply. The prolonged summer of 1999 drought in the mid-Atlantic and elsewhere has spurred state and local governments to implement mandatory or voluntary water use restrictions, including landscape watering bans. ANLA offers the following suggestions for members whose business interests are threatened by extreme bans:
- Take a leadership role in policy development. State and local associations should coordinate relationship-building with local or state government decision-makers before there is a crisis. When crisis hits, agreed-to conservation plans can be put in place smoothly.
- Once a drought is underway, it's still not too late to reach out to government officials. The industry should educate officials on the industry's economic significance, number of employees, contributions to the economy, the value and environmental benefits of plants, and common-sense ways to save water. (See factsheets on Water Wise Gardening and the Value of Plants at
http://www.anla.org/industry/facts/index.htm).
- The responsibility for water conservation should be spread across all water users. For example, Maryland's state-wide mandatory conservation efforts include universal restrictions on businesses and homeowners (irrigation on farms including production nurseries and greenhouses is exempt). Maryland's drought restrictions are posted at
www.gov.state.md.us.
- Restrictions on landscape water use should be "tiered" depending on severity of shortages. Example: odd/even day watering initially; followed by eliminating the use of automatic irrigation systems and limiting lawn watering to newly-established lawns only. Even under severe conditions, the watering of newly planted trees and shrubs should be allowed.
- Lincoln, NE and Virginia Beach, VA are models of successful community efforts to develop water plans. ANLA has a few kits available containing case studies of these efforts.
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