David Bracken at the N&O writes:
Those who think growth was the culprit in the Triangle’s recent water shortages may be disappointed when Dale Crisp, Raleigh public utilities director, addresses a gathering of regional water managers Tuesday.
…
“My main focus is going to say that the drought’s what caused the water supply shortage, not growth, as many people suspected,” Crisp said.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that there are no plans to make pricing more responsive, so expect future droughts to bring about the same response from city council – water restrictions and calls for conservation followed by higher rates when conservation works “too well.”