Reporter
rseaborn@pickenssentinel.com
PICKENS - With water levels in the city's reservoir steadily decreasing, and voluntary restrictions proving to do little in cutting down on the over two million gallons of water used daily, members of Pickens City Council voted Monday to mandate water usage to its customers.
"It's just bad," said City Administrator Chris Eldridge. "The kind of shape we are in now, (restrictions) would be a good choice."
The water level in the city's reservoir has dropped five to six inches below the dam, he said.
Last month, Eldridge reported to council that although water wasn't flowing over the reservoir dam, it had maintained to less than an inch below the top of the dam.
While council discussed other alternatives to the mandatory restrictions, including the continuation of the voluntarily conservation of water, Eldridge said attempts on that level did not slow the decline in the reservoir's water levels.
"We've already done something to save water and we are still losing ground," he said. "We're just not seeing a difference, and we are still pumping between two and three million gallons of water a day."
Recent rainfalls have made no impact on alleviating the drought conditions plaguing four counties in the Upstate, said Brian Gravely, superintendent of water and waste water management.
"The water table just finally got so low," he said. "We got a half an inch of rain in the storms of last week, and the creeks rose.
"But by the next day it was gone," he said.
Pickens Mayor David Owens asked Gravely his professional opinion on the necessity of levying mandated water restrictions.
"If we could get rain this weekend, if we could be certain that one of those isolated showers would hit us, then I think we could make it a little longer," Gravely said. "But if we don't get the rain I would say mandated restrictions are needed."
Under the water restriction resolution, customers of the Pickens Water District can only use water for essential purposes.
According to the resolution, water cannot be used for the washing of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard surfaces. Also, water is not to be used for the washing down of buildings or structures for purposes other than fire protection.
In addition, water cannot be used in the washing of motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats, trailers and other types of vehicles, except for business purposes.
The resolution continues to exclude the use of water in maintaining fountains or decorative water bodies for scenic purposes, except where necessary to support aquatic life.
Finally, the resolution prevents the watering of lawns, plants, shrubs, trees or gardens.
Along with its water customers, Pickens will also feel the brunt of the water restrictions, Eldridge said.
"I think the grasses will do all right, but the flowers will be gone," he said. "And we will probably lose all the azaleas on Main Street."
Pickens High School will also be unable to water the football field in preparation for the upcoming season, he said.
Before casting his vote in support of the mandatory water restrictions, Councilman Joe Durham expressed his dismay at having no other option.
"I understand the necessity of this," Durham said. "But I've got 250 azaleas that I have been trying to keep alive.
"And I have a (Beauty) Berry Bush that my mother planted in 1953 that I've worked to keep alive," he said.
Pickens becomes the third municipality in the county to impose water restrictions on its customers after much of the Upstate was declared to be in extreme drought conditions.
Clemson City Council voted in mandatory restrictions in June with Central council members following in July.
The mandatory water restrictions in Pickens will begin at 12:01 Friday morning.
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