Businesses Wait for Water

Tina Shively spoke with owners who say they're not panicking just yet, but a full-fledged drought could be devastating.

Just three months ago, the owner of Birchcrest Tree & Landscape was a big fan of Western New York's unusually warm weather.

Today, the story's a bit different.

Dave Dailey "It's almost too much of a good thing, it really is."

In this dry, hot summer, tree trimming and removal are just about the only tasks left for Dailey's crews.

He added "Mowing has pretty much stopped at this point, but planting is certainly much more difficult. The ground is turning rock hard."

Dailey's been advising customers to provide what Mother Nature isn't, to turn on the hose in the early morning or late evening hours.

"We're just moving into a drought, if it continues it's gonna get much much worse. Most people can still save a majority of their plants. But if it stays like this for another month it will be terrible."

At Lake Shore Golf Course in Greece all is not lost. The moisture that Mother Nature doesn't provide in terms of rain is brought to the course via an irrigation system, powered by a pumping station.

300,000 gallons of water a day is now pumped across the course underground, but the course's president says he's not complaining about the cost.

"It's a pleasure to pay those bills compared to last year when it was non-stop rain and we didn't have any golfers out here," said Chuck Hart. "At least we have lots of golfers so it helps offset the expense."

If weather patterns don't change in the next few weeks, the water levels in the pond that supplies Lake Shore's irrigation system could fall too low to power the pump.

Hart added "When we get to that situation we'll start rationing and we may not water some fairways as much as we would like to water them."

After that, Hart will have to tap into the budget, buying water from the City of Rochester, at a cost he calls "substantial".

But until then, Hart remains positive, and so does Dailey.

"It was the greatest winter as far as I can remember as far as working goes spring was wonderful warmed up early," he said. "Summer's been a little too hot, a little too dry, but overall picture I'd take this year over any year."