Bowing to the pressure of local small businesses dependent on public water for their livelihoods, the Belmont City Council water committee has put forth a motion to ease water restrictions in the area.
Residents would be able to hand water, drip irrigate trees, shrubs, and personal gardens. If approved, the watering could be done during the entire day on those three days. “I don’t mind the hand held watering,” said Councilman Charlie Flowers”.
This action is occurring while other Gaston county towns are also loosening restrictions.
It seems that the “squeaky” (re: “leaky”) wheel gets the grease. If City Council passes the recommendation, residents still will not be able to water their lawns.
Other communities throughout the state are still working on further restrictions and closely tracking water use, Belmont gets a bit a rain and Poof! – no more drought — in some eyes.
We admit there has been some improvement in the drought, but the area is still in what is considered exceptional drought conditions. Typically late February and the month of March are “catch up” months in regards to rain. Not this spring – so far.
A special meeting next Monday evening (6:30 PM) will have this discussion and vote. Interested people should attend this meeting and see how council members who have landscapers maintain their personal yards vote on this issue.
More information links: System Status for Belmont
| Basin | Pop | 2008-03-10 | 2008-03-03 | 2008-02-25 | 2008-02-18 | |
| Belmont | Catawba River | 8,974 | 1,676,143 | 1,605,571 | 1,668,286 |
Older table dates
| Basin | Pop | 08-02-04 | 08-01-28 | 08-01-21 | 08-01-14 | 08-01-07 | |
| Belmont | Catawba River | 8,974 | 1,545,286 | 1,672,429 | 1,685,857 | 1,568,714 | 1,744,143 |
Sure doesn’t look like water restrictions have affected Belmont’s use of water. Going back to an earlier article where the Belmont Front Porch reported on the growing practice of new wells being dug throughout the county, the County Health Department repudiated the charge that new wells were an issue with groundwater.
With this information, it seems that local “businesses” would not be affected — according to the County health department — just dig a well.
Good for business, keeps the businesses off the backs of elected “leaders”, and keeps the progeny of local councilmembers with their jobs.
It’s all good.
The Belmont Front Porch 
It looks as though with all the rain we have had recently that folks in Belmont would get out and mow their lawns. Let’s see, has is not rained for the past seven or eight week-ends??? Some lawns are extremely high.
I believe that it would be irresponsible to lift the water ban. By not watering, we have made our grass and other plants less dependent on the water that most folks feel they have to give everyday. In fact, your grass only needs an average of an inch per week, maybe less. We are still almost 15 inches behind and extra water use will make any dry weather this summer worse. Local goverments should not be dependent on water use – that should be extra.
Your links are old old old ( October). Newsflash- we’ve had rain and the river is back to normal! Take a drive across the bridge and LOOK…if you can bear to leave Hawthorne! LOL.A better link would be to Duke Power’s current lake levels which show ALL above target level. WATER is there!
Target levels for the month, not the year, or year-in-comparison.
Wash your siding?!!! Aren’t all houses in Belmont supposed to be brick? lol
We disagree with you that the restrictions need to be lifted. The facts of water use provided by the state do not support the assertion that anyone has suffered. In fact, water use in Belmont has risen since last summer. That all can’t be attributed to the broken water main down on Amanda Lane several weeks ago – no way.
It is certainly not by all the newly occupied homes in the area either.
There isn’t a council member that is not personally affected or position improved by a positive vote to lift the current restrictions.
From left side of the counter to the right; Cromlish – lives in Glenmere, professional services; Martin – no yard, already received the setback variances with total yard build out; Flowers – son is head of Water Dept; Boyce – no vote unless tie, however, lives in Pinsto; Stowe -spouse of developer, lives in Lake Ridge, professional landscaping; Foulk – one son owns landscaping business, other son assists on occasion while off-duty from BFD;
Sounds like there is a lot of conflict of interest in this situation.
The restrictions need to be lifted now. All Catawba lakes are ABOVE target levels. We need to wash the siding on our houses! The water is there and the water dept. needs the revenue. Lift them more!