The City of Winder will not meet the state mandated ten percent reduction in water usage, utilities director Wesley Skinner told council members at Monday night's work session.
The mandatory 10 percent reduction is calculated based on last year's usage. The withdrawal permit for this summer will be based on water usage from April through September of 2007.
While the state of Georgia did not impose level four drought restrictions until October 1 of 2007, Winder implemented the stricter water usage guidelines on August 13 of last year. The city had been at level three drought restrictions since June. The restrictions were deemed necessary to protect the city's water supply and, as a result, consumption was drastically reduced last summer compared to state wide usage.
"We're being penalized because we were proactive," Skinner said. "We cannot meet the ten percent reduction."
Skinner explained that since Winder had already reduced usage by 10 percent during the summer, the state is effectively asking them to reduce usage by 20 percent from normal usage rates.
Further complicating matters is the addition of 700 new customers. The additional usage has caused Winder to miss the 10 percent target for the winter months as well.
"We were 300,000 gallons per day under our January average of 2007, but that still did not meet the ten percent reduction, " Skinner said. February usage was also below last year's level.
Skinner said the city will apply to the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Department of Natural Resources for a variance to the mandate.
"They are aware of this situation," he said. "In order to protect our water source, we had to go to the restrictions earlier."
Skinner also told the council that state legislation is pending which would affect the city's ability to implement any future water restrictions.
House Bill 1281 would require EPD approval before any local government could tighten water restrictions beyond those imposed by the state.
Skinner said he and other water professionals oppose the legislation.
"It should be up to this council to decide what is best for the city of Winder," he said.
