WINDSOR – A second area municipality has enacted a voluntary water usage reduction policy.

The Town of Windsor, upon request of the Governor of North Carolina, has agreed to reduce its water usage by 50 percent.

&uot;This is a statewide initiative and the Town of Windsor is requesting your support in trying to reduce water consumption,&uot; states a press release sent out by the town.

Bertie County, in which Windsor is located, has been listed as being in an extreme drought condition.

Even the recent heavy rainfall has done little to alleviate that status.

Officials from the town are requesting that citizens take these following measures to conserve water:

* Stop watering lawns and shrubbery at homes and businesses

* Do not wash down homes, driveways or sidewalks

* Restaurants should only serve water when patrons ask

* Check plumbing to make sure it is not wasteful and that there are no leaks, etc.

* Turn off water while shampooing, shaving and brushing teeth to reduce water running

* Take shorter baths/showers

* Locate and know where the shut off valves are for emergency cut offs

* Use a dry clean-up method in place of rinsing

* Catch rain water from guttering for watering plants

* Use washing machines and dishwashers wisely; only run full loads

* Avoid using sink disposals for food scraps

These actions are voluntary but would go a long way toward preventing any possible water shortage situation within the town.

Town Manager Alan Castelloe told the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, &uot;North Carolina is experiencing one of the worst drought situations that has been seen in many years and in an attempt to alleviate as much of that as possible, the Town of Windsor is trying to do its part.&uot;

He continued, &uot;While we aren’t experiencing any problems in our area at the moment, if the drought situation continues we could experience problems, so we want to do everything we can now to avoid a water shortage in the future.&uot;

The town will be required to submit records of water usage each week to the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources.

In July, Ahoskie officials put a voluntary water usage reduction policy in effect, which made them the first area municipality to do so.