The state of Tennessee is asking that you resist the temptation to hose down the muck off your car and house. For that matter, don't try to refresh the water in your backyard pool if you have one.
The state’s Department of Environment and Conservation finalized Tuesday a mandatory water conservation order for Davidson and Williamson counties, including the cities of Franklin and Brentwood.
The order was issued under the TDEC commissioner’s emergency authority. It is the first time this authority has been used to this scale for water conservation measures.
“Our department is in regular contact with water utilities in Middle and West Tennessee, and some of them are working through some significant flood-related issues,” said Commissioner Jim Fyke. “Metro Nashville and the Harpeth Valley Utility District are running at half capacity and asking people to cut water consumption by half. We urge water customers to follow these conservation measures.”
While not a part of the order, the state has urged all municipal water customers in counties affected by flooding to practice water conservation measures for nonessential uses.
Nonessential uses, according to the state, are things like running dishwashers, flushing toilets, washing cars, filling pools and hot tubs, etc. They even ask that you hold off a few days on washing clothes.
The order is available on the Web at www.tn.gov/environment/flood [1].
Links:
[1] http://www.tn.gov/environment/flood