The drought:
it’s serious

The few showers of rain that fell over the weekend did little to ease the 21-inch rain deficit in Columbus County over the past 10 months. The deficit is thought to be a modern-day record.

Columbus County is listed as one of the counties suffering from “extreme” drought conditions. Another wide swath, which stretches from Asheville to Raleigh, is listed as “exceptional.”

The effects of the drought on crops in the region are well-documented, but the real concern is over drinking water.

Cities like Durham and Greensboro, which rely heavily on surface water from reservoirs and rivers, are believed to have about 90 days of water left before drastic measures must be taken. These measures would include closing businesses that use even moderate amounts of water and water rationing for homes. Greensboro has an evacuation plan in place should the situation become dire.

Columbus County residents fare better because we rely on underground aquifers, areas of water that flow very slowly through semi-permeable rock toward the ocean.

The downside, however, is that it takes months to replenish aquifers, which are already under extreme pressure from a growing population in places like Fayetteville, and from large industries likes Smithfield Foods in Tar Heel, which has created a “cone of depression” in the water table below it.

County officials here say that water levels are lower than normal but not dire. If there is little rain this winter, however, the consequences could be serious.

Well drillers in the region are already busy drilling wells for homes with older, shallow wells which are running dry or are subject to salt water intrusion.

So even though the drinking water situation in Columbus County isn’t expected to reach a critical stage until the spring if little rainwater falls, every resident should conserve. This includes everything from not watering your lawn to turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth.

It’s believed that North Carolina’s exploding population (the state is now the 10th most populated state in the nation) will one day strain drinking water resources. Because of tropical storms,
hurricanes and average rainfall amounts in recent years, water levels haven’t been a concern.

When periods of exceptional drought occur, however, it’s easy to see what a crisis this could become, especially if some of the state’s largest cities face near shutdown or maybe evacuation.
We should all do our part– to protect this most precious of resources.