RALEIGH - Mayor Charles Meeker says the city will return to Stage 1 water restrictions now that heavy rains have filled Falls Lake for the first time in many months.

Meeker said this evening that city officials will announce the repeal of the city's most severe water restrictions tomorrow morning, ending conservation measures that were unpopular with landscapers and nursery owners as well as many gardeners and homeowners.

The shift will relax Stage 2 prohibitions that barred use of city water for pressure washing and all forms of irrigation. Those tough measures also sharply restricted builders from testing new city water connections — test that have to take place before homes and businesses can be legally occupied.

The Stage 1 restrictions Meeker said the city will return to will allow outdoor watering one day a week on an even-odd address basis for homeowners with sprinkler systems and hose-end sprinkers and twice a week for homeowners irrigating with a hand-held hose. The relaxed rules will also allow car washing and pressure washing on Saturdays and Sundays.

But the mayor warned that water conservation in the city will become a year-round effort, with Stage 1 restrictions remaining in place until city officials formulate permanent rules, which will like involve tiered water rates, limited outdoor watering and low-flow devices on shower heads and other appliances.

The city's move to ease restrictions follows heavy rains that have drenched the Triangle, the Triad and other portions of the state for the past week. Since last Sunday, the National Weather Service has recorded 2.55 inches of rain at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and 2.55 inches of rain in the Triad, said forecaster Brandon Locklear.

As a result of these downpours, water levels at Falls Lake and Jordan Lake, two of the Triangle's largest reservoirs, rose rapid to levels above where Army Corps of Engineers officials consider full. As of this morning, Falls Lake, Raleigh's primary source of drinking water, was at 252 feet, according to a Corps of Engineers new release. Full pool is 251.5 feet.

Jordan Lake, which provides water for Cary and Apex, was more than three feet above full this morning, rising to 219.37 feet, according to the Corps of Engineers report. Full pool is 216 feet.

The proposed move by Raleigh officials follows a decision by Durham officials last week to end outdoor watering restrictions after both its reservoirs reach full capacity.

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