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Town and county look for ways to enforce water restrictions for town-served customers outside town limits
Summary
Officials raised that county customers who receive town water service (for example, Blue Ridge Shadows) may not be covered by town code enforcement; legal counsel advised town code cannot be enforced directly against county residents, and staff will seek cooperative mechanisms so all water users follow conservation orders during shortages.
Liaison members discussed a gap in water-conservation enforcement for county customers who receive water service from the town. Residents in areas such as Blue Ridge Shadows get water from the town system but live outside town limits, leading to questions about whether town conservation rules apply and who enforces them.
Staff said legal advice indicates the town cannot directly enforce its code against county residents. That leaves a compliance gap during conservation periods: if only town residents restrict usage, overall savings may be insufficient. "We could not enforce our town code with county residents," a county official summarized, and meeting participants said they need cooperative mechanisms to ensure all water users comply when conservation is declared.
Officials asked staff to explore practical options — including shared notices, utility billing conditions, or intergovernmental agreements — to improve compliance across jurisdictional lines. No enforcement change was adopted at the Oct. 17 meeting; staff said they would continue to develop options and information for future liaison discussion.
