I recently had the opportunity to attend a Community Success Forum on the topic of our water supply in North Carolina. The drought of 2007 catapulted state water management issues high on all public officials priority list.

The state climate office said that 2007 was the worst drought on modern record. In May 2007, the base flow from snow and collected rain did not fill reservoirs to necessary levels. August 2007 was the hottest August ever recorded. Ever. No measurable rain came. Where were our offshore hurricanes?

So we started 2008 with a significant deficit. This conference, five and a half months into the year, came one week after reservoir levels were finally back to normal. But the pressure is not off. With 100-150 years of data, the climate expert could not provide any confidence in a weather prediction for this year. There's a 50% chance that the storms will come up the Atlantic and we’ll have enough storms. But there's also a 50% chance that the storm pattern will move up the Gulf and hit Texas and Louisiana again this year. Additionally, even though we look pretty good now, the monthly rain levels charted over the past 20 years shows that it is the second half of the year that really determines our water forecast. So we must still ask ourselves, what can I do to conserve? What can my company do to operate responsibly?

Mayors and commissioners described their water supply interconnectedness and the benefit of regional collaboration. In particular, the Mayor of Durham provided a colorful tour of the water management education resources that her city provided to citizens. A new toilet flapper, ballast to reduce water held in the toilet tank, and an hourglass to help keep showers short were the highlights for me. I could definitely use each item!

What’s in your water management toolkit?