How will the drought impact Triangle water supplies and residents?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Stage 1 restrictions apply to 650,000 Raleigh Water customers starting Monday, April 20.
- Raleigh limits lawn watering by address, and sets sprinkler hours.
- Other regional systems—Durham, Cary-Apex, and OWASA—had no restrictions as of April 16.
Some Triangle residents will have new restrictions on how they can use water in light of an ongoing statewide drought.
The last significant drought the Triangle faced was in 2007 and 2008, said Raleigh Assistant Director Ed Buchan.
“It was more typical in that it kind of manifested in the summer and fall, and kind of hung on through the winter, but then comes spring and we got a lot of rain and solved that problem.”
That’s not the case this year with an unusually dry spring.
Falls Lake, Raleigh’s primary drinking source, has always been full on April 1 except for this year, Buchan said. The city only had 0.1 inches of rain so far in April and 1.71 inches since March 1, making it on pace to be the third-driest spring on record, according to the National Weather Service.
A rainfall gage station at Raleigh-Durham International Airport recorded the lowest rainfall total, year-to-date, on Wednesday, April 15, across a 140-year period, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.
“That’s one of the reasons why we want to take this seriously and try to be proactive and making sure we’re good for the long term.” Buchan said.
Here’s how some area water utilities are responding to the drought.
Raleigh Water
Are there drought restrictions? Yes, starting on Monday, April 20. The city primarily gets its water from Falls Lake, which is at 84% capacity on Thursday, April 16. Its secondary sources is Lake Benson, which is near full capacity.
Who does it apply to? All Raleigh Water customers, which includes 650,000 residents in Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon. These restrictions trump homeowner association rules, Buchan said.
What changes are for residents?
- People with odd-numbered addresses may only water their lawns on Tuesdays.
- People with even-numbered addresses may only water their lawns on Wednesdays.
- Watering impervious surfaces, like streets, driveways or other paved surfaces is prohibited.
- Leaks in water services or plumbing must be repaired within 48 hours after being notified.
- Handheld hose watering and drip irrigation are allowed at any time during the customer’s designated watering day.
- Sprinklers can only be used between 6-10 a.m. or 6-10 p.m.
Restaurants will also be asked not to serve tap water unless requested, and hotels will ask guests spending more than one night to reuse towels and bed linens.
Filling up pools, irrigating athletic fields, pressure washing and car washing are all allowed under the stage 1 restriction.
How can you report a violation? Call Raleigh Water at 919-996-3245 or email customercare@raleighnc.gov. The first violation is a letter, the second is a $100 fine and the third is a $500 fine. If the violations are not resolved, the city may stop water service.
You can find more details in the city’s Water Shortage Response Plan on the city’s website, raleighnc.gov.
Durham Water
Are there drought restrictions? No, not as of Thursday, April 16.
The city supplies water to Durham residents including those who live in city limits, some county residents and a majority of the Research Triangle Park.
However, the city does have a water efficiency ordinance requiring homeowners to only water their lawns on specific days, said Joe Lunne, senior public information and communications analyst with the city’s water department.
“Water management monitors weather conditions and water usage very closely,” he said. “At this point, the city of Durham has not hit the triggers for increasing our water shortage response level.”
The city would implement restrictions if there was a 30% probability of reservoir levels falling to 45% capacity within 12 weeks, and the city reviews that data every Monday.
Cary-Apex Water
Are there drought restrictions? No, not as of Thursday, April 16.
The Cary-Apex Water Treatment Facility is co-owned by the two towns, and it supplies water to Cary, Apex, Morrisville and a part of the Research Triangle Park.
Restrictions would go into place if there was less than 120 days of supply remaining in Jordan Lake.
The town does have a conservation ordinance specifying specific days homeowners can use sprinklers, according to its water shortage response plan.
Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA)
Are there restrictions? No, not as of Thursday, April 16.
The non-profit serves Carrboro, Chapel Hill, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and parts of Orange County.
The water supply normally is between 95-100% full at this time of year but is currently at 90%, said Allison Spinelli, director of water resources at OWASA.
“Reservoir storage levels that trigger our Water Shortage Response Plan are when reservoirs drop below 70% during the summer months,” she said. “We are not close to that at this time. We continue to monitor the situation closely.”
The News & Observer’s Nolan Wilkinson contributed to this report.
