Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and Carrboro Mayor Mike Nelson have issued proclamations enacting the "water supply emergency" today. The towns are supplied with water by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority.
The OWASA board of directors discussed the dwindling water supply at an emergency meeting Thursday.
Executive director Ed Kerwin said OWASA could run out of water next summer if rains do not replenish Cane Creek Reservoir and University Lake.
"There are real scenarios that have us out of water," he said. "It is scary."
The board will meet again next week to discuss whether to ask Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County governments to force restaurants to use disposable dishes and utensils as additional water conservation measures.
Nancy Suttenfield, UNC's vice chancellor for finance and administration, said University representatives from each of the major constituencies on campus met Friday to address new OWASA restrictions.
The committee was organized into subgroups that were charged with assembling a list of concrete ways to cut water consumption. They will meet again next week to finalize a plan, she said.
Suttenfield said University officials are hoping to mobilize the entire campus community to ensure the success and effectiveness of reducing water use.
"Because this is an emergency and because we use close to 30 percent of the area's water, we want to be good partners," she said.
