The drought affecting central North Carolina has left Durham and Raleigh in different situations. While Durham maintains water use restrictions and turns to additional supply sources, Raleigh does not anticipate new measures in the short term.
Durham has an estimated total water supply of 147 days, officials with the city's Department of Water Management told Enlace Latino NC .
Of that amount, approximately 78 days comes from readily accessible water in its reservoirs. Officials clarified that the city has additional reserves and that the total estimate does not account for possible rainfall over the coming months.
In Raleigh, 61% of the water supply storage in Falls Lake remains available, a level officials consider sufficient to maintain the supply without imposing new restrictions for now.
Although both cities face the same regional drought, differences in their water sources explain why Durham has had to adopt stricter measures.
Durham maintains restrictions amid a lack of rainfall
Durham has remained under Stage 2 water use 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 decline due to the lack of rain, leading Durham to maintain water use restrictions and turn to additional supply sources.
Joe Lunne, senior public information and communications analyst with Durham's Department of Water Management, described the situation as a historic drought for the region.
He explained that the area has accumulated a rainfall deficit of approximately 20 inches. Although there has been some rain, it has not been enough to restore levels in the reservoirs that supply the city.
Lunne emphasized that the 78 days of readily accessible water do not represent the entire available supply.
The 147-day estimate includes other reserves and does not account for possible rainfall over 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 supply sources.
James Lim, Durham's water efficiency and conservation program manager, explained that the city is obtaining water from Jordan Lake through Cary and purchasing water from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA).
Durham is also using water from Teer Quarry, an emergency reserve.
These measures aim to reduce pressure on the reservoirs while officials wait for rainfall to help restore their levels.
What restrictions must Durham residents follow?
Current restrictions primarily limit watering gardens and other activities that use water outdoors.
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 an automatic shut-off device, as well as using drip irrigation systems, is still allowed.
Lim explained that if Durham were to reach Stage 3, these exceptions would no longer apply, and restrictions on outdoor water use would expand.
The city uses a hydrological model to determine when it would be necessary to increase restrictions. According to Lim, one criterion for triggering Stage 3 is a 10% probability that the reservoirs will be below 25% of their capacity within eight weeks.
For now, Durham is not in a water emergency, Lunne clarified. The city remains in Stage 2 as it monitors its reserves and maintains conservation measures.
Stage 4, which includes rationing measures, is intended for emergencies if conditions were to worsen considerably.
Recommendations for saving water at home
Durham officials recommend that residents take shorter showers, turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth and make use of water that normally goes to waste.
Lim suggested, for example, collecting shower water in a container while waiting for it to warm up. That water can be reused to water plants or flush the toilet.
He also recommended avoiding flushing the toilet every time someone urinates as a way to save water. Although I have acknowledged that this is not an ideal practice for everyone, I have noted that it can help reduce consumption during the drought.
These recommendations aim to reduce daily water use without affecting households' essential needs.
Raleigh remains in a more favorable position
Unlike Durham, Raleigh considers its water supply to be in a more favorable position to withstand the drought.
Ed Buchan, deputy director of Raleigh Water, told Enlace Latino NC that approximately 80% of the water supplying the system comes from Falls Lake.
The reservoir currently retains 61% of its water supply storage. The threshold for triggering restrictions during this time of year is 35%.
Buchan said he does not anticipate Raleigh reaching that level during November and considers it unlikely to happen in December.
The official explained that reservoir levels tend to decline during certain times of the year and recover during the winter months. Although Falls Lake's levels are lower than usual for November, he said Raleigh has made investments to strengthen its water supply.
Part of that preparation stems from measures implemented after the 2007 drought.
In 2019, a reallocation of storage in Falls Lake added approximately 5.6 billion gallons to the reserves available to the system. Raleigh also incorporated the Lake Benson and Lake Wheeler system as an additional supply source.
Buchan explained that Durham faces greater difficulties because it depends on smaller reservoirs located upstream from Falls Lake.
These differences help explain why two nearby cities can experience different consequences during the same drought.
Cities work together to ensure the water supply
Although Raleigh does not anticipate immediate restrictions, officials maintain regional cooperation mechanisms to respond to potential emergencies.
Buchan explained that Raleigh is part of the Triangle Area Water Supply Partnership, an association of 13 water utilities in the region.
Through this collaboration, communities can transfer water between their systems when necessary.
However, these transfers have limits because they depend on the capacity of pipes, pumps and treatment plants.
Durham is already turning to this type of cooperation to supplement its supply.
Buchan also explained that Raleigh has additional storage in Falls Lake that he could try to access in an extreme situation, although he does not currently anticipate that being necessary.
Recovery from the drought could take months
Although Raleigh maintains larger reserves, Buchan stressed that water conservation remains important for the entire region.
One of the most effective measures, he explained, is reducing the watering of gardens and green spaces.
Some of the water used inside homes returns to rivers after being treated. In contrast, water used for irrigation can evaporate or seep into the ground without returning directly to the systems that supply other communities.
For that reason, even cities that maintain sufficient reserves can help reduce pressure on the regional water supply.
Buchan also warned that a prolonged drought does not disappear after a few days of rain.
Although rainfall may restore reservoir levels, groundwater and river flows could take months, or even more than a year, to recover fully.
In Durham, officials hope 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 additional restrictions if the drought continues.
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