Stage 1, Voluntary Water Conservation

The City of Greensboro is currently in Stage I of the City's Emergency Water Conservation and Restriction Plan, Chapter 29.5 of the City Code of Ordinances. Commercial, manufacturing, institutional and residential customers are strongly encouraged to voluntarily reduce water use.

• Inspect and repair all faulty and defective parts of faucets and toilets.
• Use showers for bathing rather than the bathtub and limit showers to no more than five minutes.
• Do not leave faucets running while shaving, rinsing dishes, or brushing teeth.
• Operate clothes washers and dishwashers only when you have a full load.
• Limit vehicle washing.
• Do not wash down outside areas, such as sidewalks, patios, driveways, etc.
• Install water-saving shower heads and toilets.
• Use water conservation methods during construction-related activities.

Links of Interest

• Learn how to conserve water at home.
• Help us spread the word about the importance of conservation! Download these ads for use in your community publications, such as church and school newsletters or websites.
• How much water are we using? Check out Greensboro's daily water usage.
• How much water do you use?
• Learn about landscaping during a drought.
• NOAA Drought Information Center

Putting the 2007 Drought in Perspective

Quotable: "In September and October of 2002, we were recovering (from the drought)," said Allan Williams, director of the City's Water Resources Department. "We were having rainfall. But we're just not having that now." In fact, Greensboro is nearly 14 inches below its average yearly rainfall. Long range precipitation forecasts predict below-normal rainfall for the southeastern United States for the next several months.

"Unfortunately, people have heard about water restrictions before and nothing bad ever seems to happen," said Williams. "What they have to realize is that we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think there was a chance that our water supply was in jeopardy."

From Governor Mike Easley:  "I still believe and continue to remind citizens that the best conservation is done locally. It's really done taking it back one home at a time, one citizen at a time, conserving a gallon here, a gallon there. ... This is a growing state. We're not going to get any more rain just because we bring in more people. We're going to have to be more efficient with what we have." (October 30, 2007)