Raleigh to add new water restrictions due to ongoing drought
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Falls Lake is Raleigh's main water source. Photo: City of Raleigh
Raleigh will institute Stage 1 water restrictions starting on Monday due to drought conditions affecting its main reservoir at Falls Lake.
Why it matters: All of North Carolina is experiencing a severe drought this spring, and the Raleigh area is not expected to get significant rainfall this week.
Driving the news: Falls Lake is currently at 84% of its water supply.
- Stage 1 water restrictions are triggered when Falls Lake its 85% of its supply in April. (The percentage is different for each month. In May, the Stage 1 trigger is 75% of Falls Lake's capacity.)
- The city has three stages of water restrictions, with Stage 1 being the least restrictive.
Zoom in: The restrictions provide different rules for outdoor and indoor water uses.
For outdoor watering, the restrictions include:
- Automatic or manual sprinklers can only be used between midnight and 10am for odd-numbered addresses on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for even-numbered addresses.
- Hose-end sprinklers can be used from 6am-10am or 6pm-10pm on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
- Handheld hoses and drip irrigation can be used at any time.
- Plumbing and service line leaks must be fixed within 48 hours of written notice.
For indoor water:
- Restaurants may serve tap water only upon request from a customer.
- Hotels must ask guests staying more than one night to reuse towels and bedsheets.
Threat level: First-time violators of the restrictions will be issued a warning. A second violation comes with a $100 fine, and a third violation is $500.
State of play: While April is expected to be warm and dry, city officials said above-average rainfall is expected for May and June.
- Raleigh last had mandatory water restrictions during the severe droughts of 2007 and 2008 — a period that led many cities in the Triangle to change how they use water.
- Raleigh's secondary water supplies — Lake Wheeler and Lake Benson — are still near full capacity.