Contact: LaVelle Donnell
Phone: (336) 373-4601

Conditions Improve and City Lifts Mandatory Water Restrictions

GREENSBORO, NC – (April 10, 2008) – Effective Friday, April 11, 2008, the City of Greensboro is lifting mandatory water restrictions. Due to improving water supply conditions, water restrictions will move from Mandatory Stage IIA to Voluntary Stage I. A full description of these stages can be found in Chapter 29.5 of the Greensboro Code of Ordinances, and customers can find a summary of the current stage at www.greensboro-nc.gov/water.

Although the City’s water supply lakes are full, stream flow was well below normal between rain events until one week ago, when regular rains occurred several days in a row. Long-term effects of the recent rains are still unknown at this point.

Purchases of water from other cities and water pumped from the Haw River have played a significant role in reducing the demand on our reservoirs. With these supplemental water sources, the water supply was increased by 3.7 billion gallons, nearly half of the total volume of the three water supply lakes combined.

The City will continue to purchase water to help meet the summer water demand and slow the decline of our lake levels in the hopes of avoiding or delaying mandatory water restrictions this summer and fall. Customers are encouraged to continue daily water conservation measures to help keep demand down, as well.

“Although customers are free to use water as they wish, we hope regular rainfall is taken into account as they consider the need to irrigate lawns and plantings,” says Allan Williams, Water Resources Director. “We thank all of our customers for cooperating during what has been the worst drought in North Carolina’s recorded history.”

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The City of Greensboro works in partnership with the community to build an increased quality of life for all residents by fostering an environment where inclusion, diversity, and trust are valued. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a dedicated professional staff of 2700 employees who maintain four core values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City of Greensboro is governed by a council-manager form of government where a mayor and eight council members act as the legislative body. For more information on the City of Greensboro, please visit us online at www.greensboro-nc.gov.