
On June 14, North Carolian Governor Beverly Purdue proclaimed July as Smart Irrigation Month. In conjunction with Governor Purdue’s proclamation, residents are asked to continue to be mindful of their outdoor water usage and to follow the City of Durham’s Year-Round Water Efficiency Ordinance. The hot, unseasonal weather that Durham has been experiencing recently has caused many residents to increase their outdoor irrigation. While added irrigation may be necessary on some of the overly-hot days, please remember to readjust your irrigation habits as weather conditions dictate. The outdoor irrigation schedule applies to any spray irrigation system and allows customers with addresses that end in an odd number to water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Customers with even-numbered addresses are allowed to water on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. No watering is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. any day and no watering is permitted on Mondays. Hand-watering and drip irrigation systems are not restricted by this ordinance. Temporary licenses are available for the establishment of new landscapes. Visit www.DurhamSavesWater.org for more information.
Using the 30-day running average demand as of July 29, 2010 of 30.37 MGD:
| Demand July 29, 2010 | Month-to-Date Average | July 2009 Average |
|---|---|---|
| 26.77 MGD | 30.54 MGD | 29.89 MGD |
Lake Michie Elevation: 340.90 feet, mean sea level.
Lake Michie is full at 341.00 feet, mean sea level.
Little River Reservoir Elevation: 354.90 feet, msl.
Little River Reservoir is full at 355.00 feet, msl.
View a graph of this month's lake levels.
View comparative graphs of historical lake elevations.
The Flat River feeds into Lake Michie and the Little River feeds into Little River Reservoir. Linked below are the real-time flow rates of these rivers:
Flat River**
Little River**
Get details regarding our year-round irrigation efficiency requirements.
View the Water Conservation Ordinance
The Department of Water Management is currently accepting comments on the draft Water Shortage Response Plan. Please review the plan and submit comments via email or by using our online form.
Click here to report a violation of the water conservation restrictions.
The following two graphs compare aspects of the drought of 1933 and 1934 (during the dustbowl years) with the drought that occurred in 2001 and 2002.
Flat River Flows: 1933-1934 vs. 2001-2002
Precipitation: 1933-1934 vs. 2001-2002
NC State Drought Conditions**
Got a leak? Find out how much water you're wasting with the WaterWiser Drip Calculator**.
*All data is provisional and subject to change.
**not a City of Durham site