The artificial turf issue revisited

Kevin calls attention to this clause in yesterday's announcement that Durham is stepping back to Stage III water conservations measures:

Athletic turf is eligible for special consideration within the modified Stage III Mandatory Conservation Measures since athletic fields must be maintained in order to ensure player safety.

He calls it the East Campus LAX exception, although i'm pretty sure that's a field hockey surface next to Broad St.

Let me point out what follows in the announcement:

Institutions that use athletic turf, along with other industrial, manufacturing and commercial customers, may apply for a written license from the city manager to use water contrary to the modified Stage III restrictions if they can demonstrate a reduction in usage of 30 percent or more.

So, as long as the entity getting the "written license" demonstrates that watering the field does not contribute to an increase in water usage, and they still reduce their overall usage by the mandatory 30%, i don't have any problems with watering the artificial surface. Of course, nobody from either Duke or the city, provided to the public solid evidence that the University had reduced its usage by 30% overall in order to qualify for the exemption in the first place. And that's all that i, or any number of other citizens who harped on this issue last year, asked for.

The city has a rule saying you need to reduce your usage by 30% under Stage III, 50% under Stage IV, in order to get one of these exemptions. When we asked to see the documentation that the exempt entities had in fact met these requirements, we were ignored. When the new list of Stage III exemptions is posted, we'll ask again.

I've been willing to make my water bills public. No reason why Duke, or any business granted an exemption from the outdoor watering restrictions, can't do the same.