North Carolina's drought puts pressure on water supply
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Triangle officials aren't yet placing new limits on how much water people can use as dry weather persists, but local water supply managers are closely monitoring conditions.
Why it matters: North Carolina is experiencing a severe drought, and the Raleigh area is in for more sunny days this week.
State of play: Raleigh's water supply is nearing one internal trigger for instituting water restrictions, according to the city.
- For April — a period when the water supply is typically full — Stage 1 restrictions can kick in if the supply in Falls Lake drops to 85%, according to Raleigh Water's Assistant Director Ed Buchan. Right now, they are at 87%.
- Those restrictions would mostly focus on limiting irrigation to one day per week, depending on a customer's street address, according to Buchan.
In Durham, reservoirs were at 84% capacity. The city draws water from Lake Michie and Little River reservoirs.
- Orange Water and Sewer Authority's supply was at 90% on Tuesday, enough to last 511 days without rain. OWASA's water is stored in Cane Creek, University Lake and the Quarry reservoirs, with additional supply coming from Jordan Lake.
What they're saying: Joe Lunne, spokesperson for Durham's water department, tells Axios that if mandatory restrictions are eventually needed, they would require the city manager's approval.
- "Hopefully, we'll get some rain soon. This year was the first time on record that both lakes weren't full on April 1," Lunne said by email.
Zoom in: In Durham, there are existing year-round watering restrictions, and odd- and even-numbered addresses are assigned different days of the week.
- Repeat violations can trigger penalties starting at $100, or eventually a service termination, according to the city.
- Other communities — including Apex, Cary, and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority — have similar existing restrictions in place.
Between the lines: Many of North Carolina's water utilities have seen water usage drop since the 1990s, helping the state accommodate its growing population.
- OWASA credits federal initiatives like the 1992 Energy Policy Act, which required manufacturers to produce more efficient toilets, as key.
Flashback: Raleigh water officials said that the city's water supply is still in good shape and that they're optimistic that there will be above-average rainfall in the coming months.
- Water restrictions have been rare in recent years. But a prolonged drought between 2007 and 2009 led to extended water restrictions across the Triangle.
- In 2023, water levels got so low in Jordan Lake that it exposed the ruins of former communities that existed before the lake was created.
The bottom line: Water restrictions aren't in place yet, but with warm weather and no rain on the horizon, the Triangle could be headed for them soon.