Remember the drought!

Sensitized by the volume of citizen complaints over recent water bills, the City Council talked Thursday about enlightening the public why their water costs what it does.

Reason is, the rates went up last summer so the city can pay for improving the water system before another drought comes our way.

Mayor Bill Bell commented that people have already forgotten the water situation just a few months ago (like at left), when Durham and the rest of central North Carolina was in the grip of "exceptional" drought (the worst kind). It came on the heels of a very bad drought in 2005 and a pretty bad one in 2002.

(Hizzonner further said he hoped "the media" would pick up on that point, and Bull's Eye is glad to oblige.)

Along that same line, City Hall is circulating tips to save water during the holidays:

— Buy high-efficiency toilets. The city is offering a $100 credit on water bills for installations; see www.durhamsaveswater.org.

— Buy a front-load ENERGY STAR® washing machine.

— Buy a water-efficient dishwasher; they should be discounted this time of year.

— Replace showerheads with water-saving models available at City Hall for $3.

— Do your defrosting in the refrigerator, not under running water.

— Cut down how much soap you use to wash dishes: saves rinse water. And don't let the water run while you're washing.

— Compost food scraps instead of running garbage disposals.

— Watch for leaky spigots and pipes.

— Don't water the grass much.

— See the 111 "simple, money-saving tips" and online water-bill calculator at www.DurhamSavesWater.org.