The drought affecting central North Carolina has left Durham and Raleigh in different situations. While Durham maintains water restrictions and is relying on additional water sources, Raleigh does not anticipate any new measures in the short term.
Durham has an estimated total water supply of 147 days, according to officials from the city's Department of Water Management. Enlace Latino NC .
Of that amount, approximately 78 days' supply corresponds to readily available water in its reservoirs. Authorities clarified that the city has additional reserves and that the total estimate does not account for potential rainfall in the coming months.
In Raleigh, 61% of the water reserve is intended for human consumption. Falls Lake It remains available, a level that authorities consider sufficient to maintain supply without imposing new restrictions for now.
Although both cities face the same regional drought, differences in their water supply sources explain why Durham has had to adopt stricter measures.
Durham maintains restrictions due to lack of rain
Durham has been under Stage 2 consumption restrictions since June 15, following a prolonged period of low rainfall.
The city normally gets its water from two main reservoirs: Lake Michie and Little River Reservoir. Both have seen their levels drop due to a lack of rain, leading Durham to maintain water restrictions and rely on additional supply sources.
Joe Lunne, senior public information and communications analyst for Durham's Department of Water Management, described the situation as a historic drought for the region.
According to the official, the area has accumulated a rainfall deficit of approximately 20 inches. Although some precipitation has been recorded, it has not been enough to replenish the reservoirs that supply the city.
Lunne emphasized that the 78 days of readily available water do not represent the entirety of the available supply.
The 147-day estimate includes other reserves and does not account for potential rainfall in the coming months. Therefore, it does not mean the city will run out of water at the end of that period.
To reduce the amount of water it draws from its reservoirs, Durham is turning to other sources of supply.
James Lim, Durham's water efficiency and conservation program manager, explained that the city is getting its water from Jordan Lake through Cary and by purchasing supply from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA).
Durham is also using water from Teer Quarry, an emergency reservoir.
These measures aim to reduce pressure on reservoirs while authorities wait for rain to help them recover their levels.
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What restrictions must Durham residents follow?
current restrictions They mainly limit the watering of gardens and other outdoor water-using activities.
Under stage 2, watering gardens and lawns with sprinklers, including those connected to a hose, is prohibited. However, watering by hand with a watering can or a hose with a self-closing device, as well as using drip irrigation systems, is still permitted.
Lim explained that if Durham were to reach stage 3, these exceptions would disappear and restrictions on outdoor water use would be extended.
The city uses a hydrological model to determine when increased restrictions would be necessary. According to Lim, one of the criteria for activating Stage 3 is a 10% probability that reservoirs will be below 25% of their capacity within eight weeks.
For now, Durham is not experiencing a water emergency, Lunne clarified. The city remains in stage 2, while it monitors its water reserves and maintains conservation measures.
Stage 4, which includes rationing measures, is planned for emergency situations if conditions were to worsen considerably.
Recommendations for saving water at home
Durham authorities are advising residents to take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing their teeth, and make use of water that is normally wasted.
Lim suggested, for example, collecting the shower water in a container while waiting for it to heat up. That water can then be reused to water plants or flush the toilet.
He also recommended avoiding flushing the toilet every time you urinate, as a way to save water. While acknowledging that this isn't an ideal practice for everyone, he noted that it can help reduce consumption during droughts.
These recommendations aim to reduce daily water usage without affecting essential household needs.
Raleigh maintains a more favorable situation
Unlike Durham, Raleigh believes its water supply is in a more favorable position to face the drought.
Ed Buchan, deputy director of Raleigh Water, explained to Enlace Latino NC that approximately 80% of the water that supplies the system comes from Falls Lake.
Currently, the reservoir holds 61% of its reserve designated for human consumption. The threshold for activating restrictions during this time of year is 35%.
Buchan noted that he does not anticipate Raleigh reaching that level during November and considers it unlikely to happen in December.
The official explained that reservoir levels typically decrease during certain times of the year and recover during the summer months. winter monthsAlthough Falls Lake is showing lower than usual levels for November, he assured that Raleigh has made investments to strengthen its supply.
Part of that preparation is in response to measures implemented after the 2007 drought.
In 2019, a redistribution of storage at Falls Lake added approximately 5,600 billion gallons to the system's available reserves. Raleigh also incorporated the Benson and Wheeler Lakes system as an additional source of supply.
Buchan explained that Durham faces greater difficulties because it relies on smaller reservoirs located upstream of Falls Lake.
These differences help to understand why two nearby cities can experience different consequences during the same drought.
Cities are working together to ensure supply
Although Raleigh does not anticipate immediate restrictions, authorities maintain regional cooperation mechanisms to respond to potential emergencies.
Buchan explained that Raleigh is part of the Triangle Area Water Supply Partnership, an association made up of 13 water service companies in the region.
Through this collaboration, the towns can transfer water between their systems when needed.
However, these transfers have limits, as they depend on the capacity of the pipes, pumps, and treatment plants.
Durham is already using this type of cooperation to supplement its supply.
Buchan also explained that Raleigh has additional storage at Falls Lake that it could try to access in an extreme situation, although it does not currently anticipate that it will be necessary.
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Recovery from the drought could take months
Despite Raleigh maintaining larger reserves, Buchan insisted that water conservation remains important for the entire region.
One of the most effective measures, he explained, is to reduce the watering of gardens and green areas.
Some of the water used in homes is returned to rivers after treatment. However, water used for irrigation may evaporate or seep into the ground, without directly returning to the systems that supply other communities.
Therefore, even cities that maintain sufficient reserves can contribute to reducing pressure on the regional supply.
Buchan also warned that a prolonged drought does not disappear after a few days of rain.
Although rainfall may allow reservoir levels to recover, groundwater and river flows could take months, or even more than a year, to fully recover.
In Durham, authorities are hoping winter rains will help improve conditions, but in the meantime, they are maintaining restrictions and asking residents to reduce their consumption.
Although Durham and Raleigh face different conditions, officials agree that conserving water now can help protect reserves and reduce the risk of further restrictions if the drought continues.
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