The governor issued another warning to water deprived North Carolina citizens today. If the drought continues, he wants the driest communities in the state to come up with plans for backup water by connecting with other water supplies. He wants DENR to conduct audits of water use to identify any leaks or other structural problems that may be causing water loss. Most significantly however, the governor wants local water systems to enforce a fee system to penalize those who are excessive water users with significantly greater water bills. It?s not clear what exactly constitutes excessive or significantly greater. By summer it may cost more to fill up your bathtub than it does to fill up your car.
As Karen said on WRAL?s Headline Saturday this week, a pricing system based on demand makes economic sense. The question is how much, paid by whom, and for how long? Before the drought debate can move forward, those questions need to be answered.
