North Carolina's drought puts pressure on water supply
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Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
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.

