Water use drops 35M gallons, Raleigh customers heed restrictions as drought worsens in NC
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh city officials say water conservation restrictions imposed last week are reducing water use as drought conditions continue to worsen across the Triangle.
The measures were implemented one week ago in parts of Wake County amid what state officials describe as a deepening rainfall deficit. Officials with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) say some areas of the Triangle are about 15 inches below normal rainfall over the past six months.
Despite rainfall over the weekend, experts say the drought is far from over. The Army Corps of Engineers reports that Falls Lake is down 3 feet, increasing concerns about water supply levels.
"At least, I'm praying for rain! So the rain is coming, but we need to conserve water as much as we can," said Linwood Peele, supervisor of the NCDEQ Division of Water Resources Water Supply Planning.
State officials say the drought is showing widespread impacts, with groundwater streams running 5 to 10 percent below normal for this time of year. Those conditions prompted water conservation restrictions in Raleigh and several other Wake County communities.
Residents say they are already adjusting how they use water outdoors.
"We've got some hydrangeas that get dry quickly. Very quickly. So, we'll give those some hand watering," said Julie Brennan of Raleigh.
City officials told ABC11 that the conservation efforts are making a difference. Water usage has dropped by 35 million gallons compared with the week before the restrictions took effect - a decrease of about 5 million gallons per day over the past week.
"We kept things really mulched over the winter. So everything sort of stayed moist. So that's good. And hopefully we'll get through it like everybody else," Brennan said.
While municipal water use is down, state officials say agriculture remains a major concern as the drought intensifies ahead of North Carolina's busy growing season.
"This is a time of year when farmers invest millions and millions of dollars planting seed, and that seed needs proper moisture to grow," Peele said.
Officials continue to urge residents to conserve water by avoiding outdoor watering during the hottest parts of the day, when evaporation is highest. Those monitoring conditions say the region would need roughly twice its typical rainfall for this time of year to make up the current deficit.
