Despite drought, BPW not ready to order mandatory restrictions

Although recent rains have done little to improve the area's drought conditions, Gaffney Board of Public Works General Manager Donnie Hardin said mandatory water restrictions aren't imminent.

Hardin said the utility is still pumping its normal amount from the Broad River.

But the flow of the Broad River was recently measured at 300 cubic feet per second - significantly below the normal flow of 1,400.

The Gaffney Board of Public Works and some water districts throughout Cherokee County have issued two requests for customers to practice voluntary water conservation.

Since the original request in June did little to reduce water usage, the utility issued another request in August.

Hardin said usage rates have declined but that's more of a result of a seasonal change.

Hardin said the only way the Board would enact mandatory water restrictions is if the state raises its drought level from moderate to extreme.

"We wouldn't have any choice but to have mandatory water restrictions then," he said.