The City Council got an update this afternoon on the water department's progress on automating the city's water meters. Water Director Don Greeley said about a quarter of the city's 82,000 residential customers have had the high-tech meeters -- which eliminate the need for meter readers walking house to house -- and asked for up to $5.1 million to install another 20,500.

Council members appeared inclined vote approval at their next regular meeting, Feb. 7, but Councilman Eugene Brown had one last question about the meters as Greeley held one up for all to see:

"It's not made in China, is it?"

"No," Greeley replied. "Alabama."

After hearing a report on Durham's water needs in the future, City Council member Diane Catotti wanted to know about the here and now -- given the prolonged dry weather earlier this month.

"Are we moving toward drought?" she asked water director Don Greeley.

"Fifty-fity," he replied. "As they've said every year at this time."

Durham water customers are going to be getting a Public Notice of bad stuff in their water, but not to worry — according to city authorities.

"We think now we've licked the problem," water director Don Greeley said this afternoon.