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Seattle Public Utilities is asking the 1.5 million people it serves to reduce their water use, citing "an unprecedented stretch of dry weather" that has drawn down local reservoirs.

Driving the news: The utility, which provides water not just for Seattle but also surrounding communities, issued an advisory Thursday asking local residents to take shorter showers and stop watering their lawns, among other measures.

Anna Dyer, the utility's water conservation manager, also advised "washing only full loads of laundry and dishes, and fixing water leaks, especially running toilets."

Why it matters: Utility managers are worried that they won't have enough water for people and fish in the coming months.

That's partly because they expect drier-than-normal conditions to continue into the fall.

The big picture: Climate change is making extreme heat waves, wildfires and droughts more common in the Pacific Northwest, according to federal officials and academic studies.

Flashback: The last time Seattle Public Utilities asked customers to voluntarily reduce their water use was in 2015.

That year, Washington state experienced widespread drought and its most devastating wildfire season on record.

Details: The request to reduce water use is in effect until further notice, Seattle Public Utilities spokesperson Sabrina Register told Axios.

The utility hopes to reduce daily water use systemwide by about a third, "until we get enough rain to refill the mountain reservoirs sufficiently," according to Thursday's public notice.

What they're saying: Register told Axios that although rain is in next week's forecast, "we don't expect the week of rain to be enough to replenish our water supply to levels that are typical for this time of year."

The bottom line: Even if you look outside next week and it's pouring, you'll likely still be asked to cut your water use for a little bit longer.

Seattle residents asked to cut water use amid dry weather

Officials want people to stop watering their lawns and take shorter showers, even with rain in the forecast.

Illustration of a faucet with a drop of water with a sad face.

Water

Seattle Public Utilities is asking the 1.5 million people it serves to reduce their water use, citing &quot;an unprecedented stretch of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dry weather" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/08/02/drier-summer-washington-wildfire" data-vars-content-id="3d522f94-4ed0-464f-b6ab-a8c752ebd1fd" data-vars-headline="Seattle residents asked to cut water use amid dry weather" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/08/02/drier-summer-washington-wildfire" target="_self">dry weather</a>&quot; that has drawn down local reservoirs.Driving the news: The utility, which provides water not just for Seattle but also surrounding communities, issued <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an advisory Thursday" data-vars-click-url="https://atyourservice.seattle.gov/2023/09/21/use-less-water-to-stretch-regions-water-supply/" data-vars-content-id="3d522f94-4ed0-464f-b6ab-a8c752ebd1fd" data-vars-headline="Seattle residents asked to cut water use amid dry weather" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://atyourservice.seattle.gov/2023/09/21/use-less-water-to-stretch-regions-water-supply/" target="_blank">an advisory Thursday</a> asking local residents to take shorter showers and stop watering their lawns, among other measures.

Climate

News

If you think Seattle has too many City Council races going on this year, some city officials think you're right.

Driving the news: A Seattle City Council committee is considering a proposal to stagger the city's elections so that a maximum of five council seats would be up for election at the same time.

That would eventually eliminate city elections like this year's, when seven of nine council seats are on the November ballot.

Why it matters: City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who is proposing the change, said last week that having so many council seats up for election at once can create "disruptive turnover" in city leadership.

State of play: This year, four City Council members aren't seeking re-election, while Mosqueda is running for King County Council, making it likely that a majority of Seattle's council members will be new in 2024.

Details: Under the proposed changes, the city would finish transitioning to the new election system by 2031.

That year, four City Council seats would appear on the ballot, instead of the seven slated to be on the ballot under the current system.

Then, in 2033, the other five City Council positions will be up for election, along for the races for mayor and city attorney.

Voters would have to sign off on the proposed change to the city's charter, which would appear on the ballot no sooner than November 2024.

What they're saying: Estevan Muñoz-Howard, who worked on the 2015 campaign to create democracy vouchers in Seattle, said the city's current system allows a level of turnover that can "make it difficult to maintain any sort of consistency in the trajectory of our city."

Among other potential problems, "multi-year projects would be more likely to stall midway through implementation" and "critical programs would be more likely to go unfunded," Muñoz-Howard wrote in an email shared with members of the council.

The other side: Others said they don't see the need to change an election system that Seattle voters approved 10 years ago, when residents voted to elect most council seats by geographic districts instead of by citywide vote.

Eugene Wasserman, who helped lead the 2013 district-based elections campaign, wrote in an email to council members that the current system "has been very successful" and "controversy-free."

What's next: City Council members are unlikely to take up the proposed election changes for several months, as they are now turning their attention to budget discussions, Mosqueda told Axios.

If the council doesn't move ahead with the proposal by the end of the year, Mosqueda said she hopes the next group of City Council members picks it up again in 2024.

Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once

As things stand, 7 of 9 council seats can turn over in the same year. Some say that's too much turnover.

Illustration of a long ballot being cut with a pair of scissors. 

If you think Seattle has too many <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="City Council races" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/05/24/seattle-city-council-new-2023" data-vars-content-id="563bea5a-3539-416c-aeab-f64ce38f4682" data-vars-headline="Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/05/24/seattle-city-council-new-2023" target="_self">City Council races</a> going on this year, some city officials think you&#x27;re right.Driving the news: A Seattle City Council committee is considering <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a proposal" data-vars-click-url="https://seattle.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6346549&amp;GUID=8A7860E0-6162-4E27-8292-6F61CF1487EC&amp;Options=ID|Text|&amp;Search=staggered+elections" data-vars-content-id="563bea5a-3539-416c-aeab-f64ce38f4682" data-vars-headline="Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://seattle.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=6346549&amp;GUID=8A7860E0-6162-4E27-8292-6F61CF1487EC&amp;Options=ID|Text|&amp;Search=staggered+elections" target="_blank">a proposal</a> to stagger the city&#x27;s elections so that a maximum of five council seats would be up for election at the same time.

Politics

It may surprise some old-school Seattleites who have long looked down on their neighbor to the south, but Tacoma has been named one the 15 happiest places to live in the country.

What's happening: Outside Magazine this week honored Tacoma as one of the country's "happiest towns."

The city — population 222,000 — was given high marks for its parks and access to outdoor recreation, as well as environmental cleanup projects that "have helped make the city a picturesque hub."

Of note: The Outside staffers also really liked breakfast at TibbittsFernHill and Campfire Coffee.

Thought bubble: I have long had a fond spot for Tacoma since it's where I got my start in journalism more than 15 years ago.

Since then, the area where I lived downtown in the late aughts has boomed so much, I barely feel cool enough to hang out there anymore.

That said, I'm always looking for an excuse to head down for a meal at Wooden City, en Rama or The Table, or to visit the Proctor Farmers Market.

Tacoma makes list of 15 happiest places to live in U.S.

The city's parks and breakfast spots were highlights for the folks at Outside Magazine.

Dune Peninsula adjacent to Point Defiance Park is shown in an aerial photo.

The 11-acre Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park is one of the Tacoma attractions that Outside Magazine highlighted. Photo: Courtesy of Metro Parks Tacoma.

Outdoor activities

It may surprise some old-school Seattleites who have long looked down on their neighbor to the south, but Tacoma has been named one the 15 happiest places to live in the country.What&#x27;s happening: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Outside Magazine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/north-america/happiest-places-to-live-us/?utm_medium=organic-social&amp;fbclid=IwAR0wgffeBCQzBTKX_G91HpwCKhLZn2xnjYtmH1ZrVlMZlX44AxVOP8GwFLg_aem_AaP_53ajMbBH7eSIXXkJlEl8APElE66bbwJHNkfaJf1XCMnaV0DXozUCzJQqb5NMaq0&amp;utm_source=Outside%20Magazine-facebook&amp;mibextid=Zxz2cZ" data-vars-content-id="5a1991af-f8b3-4d45-8f0f-fc6be1990a6d" data-vars-headline="Tacoma makes list of 15 happiest places to live in U.S." data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/north-america/happiest-places-to-live-us/?utm_medium=organic-social&amp;fbclid=IwAR0wgffeBCQzBTKX_G91HpwCKhLZn2xnjYtmH1ZrVlMZlX44AxVOP8GwFLg_aem_AaP_53ajMbBH7eSIXXkJlEl8APElE66bbwJHNkfaJf1XCMnaV0DXozUCzJQqb5NMaq0&amp;utm_source=Outside%20Magazine-facebook&amp;mibextid=Zxz2cZ" target="_blank">Outside Magazine</a> this week honored Tacoma as one of the country&#x27;s &quot;happiest towns.&quot;

Things to Do

Say goodbye to summer with these Seattle events that signal the coming of autumn.

🍺 Grab a beer and a bratwurst at Fremont Oktoberfest, which takes over part of the neighborhood from Friday through Sunday. There also are other food options, too, in addition to ciders and seltzers to try.

🍁 Celebrate the fall solstice with a luminated lantern parade around Green Lake. The Luminata event will kick off at 7:30pm Saturday. You can arrive earlier to buy a lantern for the procession, which will also feature a band and art displays.

🌲 Visit a national or state park for free Saturday in observance of National Public Lands Day.

🥧 Ring in autumn with the West Seattle Fall Festival, which will bring live music, a corn hole tournament, a pie-eating contest and chili cookoff to the heart of the neighborhood. 11-2pm Sunday.

Events to kick off fall in Seattle Sept. 21-23

Raise a pint, enter a National Park for free or join a lighted procession celebrating the fall equinox.

Illustration of a fall leaf holding a pumpkin spice latte. 

Say goodbye to summer with these Seattle events that signal the coming of autumn.🍺 Grab a beer and a bratwurst at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Fremont Oktoberfest" data-vars-click-url="https://fremontoktoberfest.com/food/" data-vars-content-id="cb58e62c-ace3-4afc-9044-677900e1f40e" data-vars-headline="Events to kick off fall in Seattle Sept. 21-23" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://fremontoktoberfest.com/food/" target="_blank">Fremont Oktoberfest</a>, which takes over part of the neighborhood from Friday through Sunday. There also are other food options, too, in addition to ciders and seltzers to try.

Includes drugs classified as amphetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate. Data: Washington State Department of Health Prescription Monitoring Program; Chart: Axios Visuals

Prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have skyrocketed in Washington state and nationwide, driven largely by more adults and women seeking treatment.

Why it matters: Greater recognition of how symptoms show up differently in women and girls is shifting who receives treatment for ADHD, which has historically been diagnosed more often in boys, said Douglas Russell, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Seattle Children's Hospital.

Reduced stigma around mental health issues also is contributing to more adults getting treatment, particularly after many struggled with balancing work and home life during the pandemic, Russell told Axios.

The big picture: "Record-high rates of prescriptions" for ADHD-treating stimulants are a factor in the recent shortage of the drugs nationwide, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Administration wrote in a letter last month.

Nationally, dispensing of stimulants increased by 45.5% from 2012 to 2021, according to the FDA and DEA letter.

Zoom in: In Washington state, the number of prescriptions for stimulants used to treat ADHD rose 55% from 2016 to 2022, totaling more than 2 million prescriptions last year, according to state health department data analyzed by Axios.

Prescriptions for amphetamines — which include Adderall and several other ADHD drugs — jumped by more than 70% statewide.

Meanwhile, the state's population increased by less than 9% during that time.

Between the lines: Adults 25 and over have been prescribed ADHD stimulants at increasing rates in recent years, according to a July report from Washington's health department.

"Decades ago, we used to think of ADHD as just a childhood diagnosis," said Russell, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Washington. 

"The recognition that ADHD affects adults as well is an important one."

Plus: The trend of women getting treated for ADHD at higher rates took off in mid-2020, the health department wrote in its July report.

In the last three months of 2022, Washington women were prescribed amphetamine stimulants at a rate of 4.6 per 100 people, compared to a rate of 3.8 per 100 among men.

What they're saying: Girls and women tend to have ADHD show up in the form of inattentiveness, which is less likely to be diagnosed in childhood than the hyperactivity often seen in boys, said Tobias Dang, medical director for mental health at Kaiser Permanente in Washington.

In recent years, there seems to have been "a better recognition" of that difference across genders, Dang told Axios.

Yes, but: The rise in telemedicine during the pandemic might have increased "inappropriate stimulant prescriptions" due to patients not being evaluated adequately, per the Centers for Disease Control.

Since the pandemic, Dang said he's seen a huge spike in patients complaining of symptoms of inattentiveness. 

But about half the time, something else — such as anxiety or depression — is the culprit, not ADHD, he said.

What we're watching: The FDA and DEA are asking drug manufacturers to ramp up production of ADHD-treating stimulants in the coming months to address the ongoing shortage.

Meanwhile, medical organizations are developing better guidelines for how to treat ADHD in adults.

ADHD prescriptions skyrocket in Washington and nationwide

More adults and women are getting treated for the disorder.

Mental health

A column chart showing a rising annual number of prescriptions for medications used to treat ADHD in Washington state, from just over 1 million annually in 2012 to more than 2 million annually in 2022. 

Prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="have skyrocketed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/15/adderall-shortage-adhd-diagnosis-prescriptions" data-vars-content-id="e87855f6-ac9f-4c14-9ccc-be408a7f805f" data-vars-headline="ADHD prescriptions skyrocket in Washington and nationwide" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/15/adderall-shortage-adhd-diagnosis-prescriptions" target="_self">have skyrocketed</a> in Washington state and nationwide, driven largely by more adults and women seeking treatment.Why it matters: Greater recognition of how symptoms show up differently in women and girls is shifting who receives treatment for ADHD, which has historically been diagnosed more often in boys, said Douglas Russell, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Seattle Children&#x27;s Hospital.

Melissa Santos

Featured stories

Seattle considers holding fewer City Council races at once

ADHD prescriptions skyrocket in Washington and nationwide

Tacoma makes list of 15 happiest places to live in U.S.

Events to kick off fall in Seattle Sept. 21-23

Seattle residents asked to cut water use amid dry weather