Raleigh can move to tougher water restrictions sooner as drought continues
Raleigh remains under Stage 1 water rules, but a July 7 ordinance gives the city manager more flexibility to impose tougher limits if conditions worsen.
Raleigh remains under Stage 1 water restrictions, but the city now has more flexibility to move toward tougher conservation rules if drought, water use or compliance concerns worsen.
Raleigh City Council approved an ordinance on July 7 that allows the city manager to escalate conservation measures sooner than under the previous supply-trigger process. The change does not mean Stage 2 is active. Raleigh’s July 21 water-supply update still listed the city under Stage 1 conditions.
What changed on July 7
The ordinance allows Raleigh to move more quickly into Stage 2 if water use remains too high during the drought. It also allows the city to disconnect irrigation-only water service if Stage 2 is implemented, and it creates flexibility for a later move to Stage 3 if water use does not fall enough.
The ordinance itself did not activate Stage 2. Residents should distinguish between the City Council’s policy change and a separate administrative announcement that a new conservation stage has begun.
What is in effect now
Raleigh is currently under Stage 1. Under the city’s published rules, in-ground irrigation systems may operate only from midnight to 10 a.m. on the assigned day: Tuesday for odd-numbered addresses and Wednesday for even-numbered addresses.
Hand-held watering, bucket watering, drip irrigation, athletic-field irrigation, swimming pools and car washing are also listed as allowed activities under Stage 1. New landscape establishment permits are prohibited, and the city recommends limiting landscape irrigation to a maximum of one-half inch per week.
The rules apply before any move to Stage 2. Residents, homeowners’ associations, landlords, landscapers and property managers should check the city’s current conservation-stage guidance before watering. The city says penalties apply for noncompliance.
Local reporting has pointed to rising irrigation violations as part of the reason the issue has become more urgent. That enforcement activity is a reminder that the current Stage 1 rules are active even though Raleigh has not moved to the next stage.
What Stage 2 could mean
If Raleigh activates Stage 2, in-ground irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers would be prohibited. The city’s published framework would still allow hand-held watering, bucket watering, drip irrigation, athletic-field irrigation, swimming pools and car washing.
The city describes Stage 2 as an intense level of water-use reduction, with higher penalties for noncompliance than in the previous stage. Athletic-field operators would not automatically face the same restrictions as residential or commercial landscape systems, but they would need to follow the specific Stage 2 instructions that apply to their use.
The July 7 ordinance also allows Raleigh to disconnect water service for customers with irrigation-only accounts if Stage 2 or another applicable restriction is activated, subject to city rules. That possibility is especially important for property managers, commercial landscapes and other customers whose outdoor systems depend on a separate irrigation connection.
Why Raleigh is watching the supply closely
The city’s concern centers on water use and drought conditions in the Falls Lake and Swift Creek watersheds, which are part of Raleigh’s supply system. North Carolina officials have also reported continuing drought conditions across the state, including the Triangle region.
Raleigh’s July 21 update listed Central North Carolina as being in severe drought and said Raleigh remained under Stage 1. It also reported that the Falls Lake water-supply pool was at 66% remaining and that the July ending trigger was 75%. Those figures are tied to the city’s July 21 update and may change.
What residents should watch
For now, Raleigh residents are under Stage 1, not Stage 2. Check the city’s water-conservation stages page and water-supply and drought-status page for any change in the current stage or watering instructions.
The council’s July 7 action reduces the distance between worsening drought or water-use conditions and a possible decision to impose tougher restrictions. It does not guarantee that Stage 2 will be activated, but it gives the city manager more discretion to act before the former supply trigger is reached.
Sources
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
