As the unprecedented drought continues and the summer heat dries out the Triangle, Raleigh Water customers could face stricter water restrictions sooner than expected.

On Tuesday, the Raleigh City Council approved changes that will allow the city to not only move to Stage 2 water restrictions earlier than previously planned but to also modify the plan as well. The change comes after conservation efforts over the past few months failed to reduce water use enough.

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Ed Buchan with Raleigh Water told the Raleigh City Council that the utility needs more flexibility in adding restrictions as the drought continues. Raleigh Water has a "trigger" for Stage 2 restrictions -- if Falls Lake reaches 45% of its water supply. Buchan asked and council approved the ability to move more quickly on restrictions even if the trigger is not hit.  

Buchan also told the City Council that once the drought is over, Raleigh Water will need to reevaluate its restriction triggers because of the unprecedented drought.

Part of the next steps would be limits on watering lawns using sprinklers or hoses and reducing  irrigation of athletic fields to once a week instead of twice a week. 

Falls Lake is currently at 245.6 feet, which is 5.9 feet below its normal level. Water supply storage is now at 62%, down 2 percentage points from last week.

The lake is the primary drinking water source for more than 650,000 residents in Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon.

Falls Lake was on pace for its driest June on record early in the month, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. However, recent rain helped ease the long-standing drought, and it finished as the seventh-driest June on record.

A few weeks ago, WRAL reported that Raleigh Water customers were still using more water than officials had hoped despite Stage 1 water restrictions.

Stage 1 water restrictions in Raleigh have been in place for months, limiting irrigation and requiring residents to follow watering schedules based on their home address.

Unless and until city council and Raleigh Water make a change, Stage 1 restrictions are in place. 

  • Automatic and non-automatic spray irrigation is allowed between midnight and 10 a.m. 
    • Homes with odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays. 
      • Homes with even-numbered addresses may water on Wednesdays. 
        • Irrigation of landscapes is recommended at a maximum of one-half inch per week. 
          • Water customers must abide by required water use reductions and efficiency measures; penalties apply for noncompliance.

            The city and Raleigh Water have been issuing fines for customers found to have repeatedly violated the restrictions. If you see a violation, the best way to report it is to email water.conservation@raleighnc.gov.