by Leah Szarek
Carrboro Commons Latino Beat Editor

As the exceptional drought continues to parch much of North Carolina, the Orange Water and Sewer Authority has ramped up its efforts to educate Carrboro and Chapel Hill residents about conservation through public forums, informational mailings and online resources. That means reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community as well.

Carrboro Laundromat proprietor Sport Campbell keeps a watchful eye on her customers. Rising water bills and competition from other local businesses have her “just trying to make it.”
Photo by Leah Szarek

Greg Feller, OWASA’s public affairs administrator, said the utility has taken steps to increase accessibility to Spanish-language resources.

“We have been working with a native Spanish-speaking translator,” he said. But he added, “We certainly can do better.”
The OWASA Web site offers links to some information and forms in Spanish, but until recently the Spanish-language page contained information on Level One water use restrictions. The OWASA service area, which includes Carrboro and Chapel Hill, has been under Level Two restrictions since November 2007.

“Certainly we should be updating the Spanish information whenever we change the parallel English information,” Feller said. He had the Web site updated as soon as the Carrboro Commons brought the lapse to his attention.

OWASA initiated a partnership with El Centro Latino to better serve the Latino community of Carrboro, Feller said. He sends all OWASA news releases to the community center’s executive director, Ben Balderas, who can then address any questions from Spanish-speaking residents.

Balderas said the partnership started about a year ago.

“Greg approached us because they were experiencing an increased Hispanic clientele, and at that time they didn’t have the appropriate staff to handle it,” Balderas said.

Feller said OWASA’s office staff can sometimes answer basic questions with their limited Spanish vocabulary, but El Centro Latino is a “good local resource.” He added that when Spanish-speakers have more complicated concerns, OWASA and El Centro Latino can set up a conference call with the client.

Carrboro resident Jerry Vargas waits for his second load of laundry at the Carrboro Laundromat. The persistent drought’s effect on local water bills may drive other residents to join him
Photo by Leah Szarek

According to Balderas, El Centro Latino has not been fielding very many questions from Carrboro’s Latino residents about water-related concerns.

“If folks have problems with their water bill being higher than average, they can come to us,” he said, noting that the center is developing ways to reach out to the Spanish-speaking community and inform them about such available resources.

“We are starting a local Latino leadership committee,” he said. “We can contact them to assist with circulating information to the community.”

Carrboro residents have not needed to look beyond their monthly water bill for an update on the drought.
Sport Campbell, proprietor of the Carrboro Laundromat on Jones Ferry Road, said she has noticed a spike in her water-dependent business’s bill from OWASA.

“Oh yeah, it sure has gone up,” she said. But for Campbell, competition is her biggest worry.

“There are three or four other laundromats around here,” she said. “I’m just trying to make it.”

Carrboro Laundromat adjoins the Tienda, Taquería y Carnizería Toledo’s and attracts a large Latino clientele. Carrboro resident Jerry Vargas said he stops in regularly with two loads of laundry.

“It’s only $2,” he said, pointing out that he saves on his own utility bills by making use of the Laundromat’s machines and water.

OWASA estimates that 20 percent of residential water is used in washing machines, a figure that could soon prompt more Carrboro residents to join Vargas at the Laundromat.

http://www.owasa.org
http://elcentrolatino.org
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