City Enacts Voluntary Water Conservation Measures

The City of Greensboro will enact Stage I voluntary water conservation measures on Wednesday, October 14, due to the lack of regular rainfall and other local weather conditions. Reduced storage levels in the City's water supply triggered this first stage of the City's Water Shortage Response Plan.

While recent rainfall slightly increased water levels in the City's lakes, central North Carolina remains in extreme drought conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor of North Carolina, and is experiencing above-normal temperatures.

In Stage 1, the City requests customers practice voluntary water conservation. Customers should take the following measures, as appropriate to their home or business:

• Inspect and repair faulty parts of faucets and toilets.
• Use the shower for bathing rather than the bathtub. Limit showers to five minutes or less.
• Do not leave faucets running while shaving, rinsing dishes, or brushing teeth.
• Limit the use of clothes washers and dishwashers, and when used, operate them when fully loaded.
• Limit lawn watering to what is necessary for plant survival.
• Water shrubbery the minimum required, reusing household water when possible.
• Limit vehicle washing.
• Do not wash down outside areas such as sidewalks, patios, driveways, etc.
• Install water flow restrictions in showerheads and other water-saving devices.
• Use disposable and biodegradable dishes where possible.
• Install water-saving devices in toilets, such as early-closing flapper valves.
• Limit the use of water-cooled air conditioners.
• Do not fill swimming or wading pools.

The October 8 US Drought Monitor of North Carolina shows most of the state's counties experiencing either abnormally dry, moderate, severe, or extreme drought. Guilford County is among nine counties experiencing extreme drought due in part to dry conditions and above-normal temperatures. Warmer spring and summer weather dried out the region and lowered stream levels.

The City continues to purchase water from neighboring cities like Burlington and Reidsville, as well as the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority, in an effort to maintain an adequate water supply.

Customers can review water conservation tips in GSO WaterWise, the City's online customer portal, and the City's website at greensboro-nc.gov/ConserveWater. The City's updated water status and lake levels are also available online.