As students prepare to return to the University this fall, they would be well advised to bring their umbrellas along as the summer's continual rainfall is expected to continue through the semester. While the showers may represent an inconvenience for outdoors-loving Hoos, the weather is undoubtedly an improvement from last year's water shortage.
While most of us remember the unpleasantness associated with the drought -- the water restrictions and increased utility rates that turned evening baths and free refills on fountain drinks into subjects of controversy -- the causes of the dry season are still unknown, Environmental Science Prof. Michael Garstang said.
"The atmosphere was very persistent, but what caused that persistence we do not know," Garstang said.
Similarly, while scientists predict a continuation of the summer's showers, they are not sure why this will likely take place.
"Because we are in this region which provides more precipitation in the eastern half of the United States instead of the western, the chances are that we'll see this pattern more this fall," he said. "We don't have a way of forecasting. The best we can say is that such persistence is likely to continue."
Garstang advised students against using the current weather conditions as an excuse for academic laziness.
"All the students should bring an umbrella with them from home and wear their galoshes like their mothers told them too, so they stay nice and dry and don't miss class," he said.
While officials are not sure why the drought occurred or why the weather has improved, they are making strides in trying to prevent such a water shortage from occurring again.
"One [planned improvement] is to place what's called a bladder on the rivanna reservoir to increase capacity by catching more water when we have occasions where we're getting a lot of rain," City Spokesperson Maurice Jones said. "Right now when we get to 100 percent capacity, you see a lot of water go over the dam."
The addition of the bladder to the reservoir is expected to increase the available water supply to Charlottesville residents by 6 million gallons a day.
City officials also hope dredging the reservoir of silt will increase water capacity, though they say there is no accurate measure of how much the process will contribute to raising water levels.
As for the increased water rates the City put in place last year to encourage consumers to reduce their consumption, Jones said they will likely stay elevated to pay for these planned improvements.
"I do believe water rates will remain stable to help pay for improvements in the infrastructure so that we can hopefully avoid what we ran into last year," he said.
The city increased water rates by roughly 30 percent in June to $31.80 per 1000 cubic feet.
In August of 2002, when water restrictions were first enacted, Charlottesville residents were consuming approximately 12.5 million gallons of water. In December, when restrictions were lifted, the usage level had dropped to a little over 7 million gallons. Usage rates climbed slightly in the spring, hovering between 8 and 10 million gallons and have stayed steady this summer. Jones said he attributes the reduced level of consumption from last year to consumer conscientiousness and circumstance.
"We believe that our citizens have been engaged in water conservation efforts much like the ones they took last fall during the drought and have been beginning to form new conservation habits. Additionally, because of the rain, we haven't been watering lawns as much," he said.
Local restaurants also say they are continuing water conservation efforts despite the rain. Last year businesses including Oxo, Rapture, Blue Light, Starr Hill, Mudhouse, Orbit and the University's catering service joined forces to conserve under the header "Project H20." The businesses each agreed to conservation measures including serving bottled water, using disposable dishware and supplying hand sanitizer in bathrooms to reduce water used in hand washing.
Participating restaurateur Vincent Verquene, owner of the popular downtown eateries Bizou, Bang and Metro, said despite the inconvenience, he felt the sacrifices were justified.
"I just think when you have a problem you need to take care of it. You need to be conscious of what you want to do and how you want to do it," Verquene said. "I think its something very stupid that only 11 ten percent of drinking water is actually used for drinking, and when you start looking at it and you realize how much you waste. When people realize that they were using so much water, they change. I think even now the consumption of water has been lower than it was two years ago."
While his restaurants have resumed offering refills on fountain drinks and metal utensils, they have retained an increased commitment to conserving water, Verquene said.
"Of course, you change the way of doing things. We're still doing it because it makes sense," he said.
Some business owners, however, were not as willing to comply with city regulations. Henry Weinschenk, owner of Express Car Wash, which was forced to close during the drought, filed a suit against the city in June, alleging that his constitutional rights had been violated. Weinschenk is being aided in his fight by the Rutherford Institute, a local civil liberties organization whose largest previous claim to fame was its 1998 representation of Paula Jones in her sexual harassment lawsuit against then president Bill Clinton.
"Local businessmen should be able to operate free of fear that they will be arbitrarily shut down by government officials in times of duress," stated John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, in a press release. "The Constitution applies equally to private property owners like Express Car Wash, even in times of drought."
While University students in their capacity as Charlottesville residents are likely contributing to the City's reduced water usage, fourth-year College student Erika Starr said she was pleased that at least some decisions could once again be taken for granted.
"It's nice not to have to think of flushing as a luxury," Starr said.
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