The City of Raleigh issued 92 official warnings to Raleigh water customers last week for violating Stage 1 water restrictions, bringing the total number of warnings issued since the restrictions took effect on April 20 to 102.  Before last week, the city had only issued 10 official warnings since the start of Stage 1 water restrictions. 

In addition, city officials also sent 25 “educational letters” to people suspected of a first violation of water restrictions, bringing that total to 366 since the restrictions began.

In the past seven days, another 161 violations were reported, increasing the total number of reported violations to 639.

Ed Buchan, Raleigh Water assistant director, told WRAL last week that the City of Raleigh would be stepping up enforcement. 

And that they did.

“We are now using all of the field staff to help report violations,” Buchan said.

Last week City Manager Marchell Adams-David expressed concern during the Raleigh City Council meeting about the uptick in water usage among Raleigh water customers in the month of June. She told City Council members, “If the non-irrigation days continue to go above the limits we have set we will be coming back to you in July asking for some additional authority so that we can go into stage 2.”

Falls Lake — the main source of water for Raleigh Water customers — is now 5.5 feet below lake level during the week ending June 23, taking the
water supply to 64%. That is a 2% drop from last week.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers said Tuesday morning, the Falls Lake dam registered
a little under an inch of rain in the past seven days. 

Customers for Raleigh Water include more than 650,000 residents in Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon. 

The City of Raleigh said residents used an average of 66.1 million gallons of water per day last week, down from 71.46 million gallons per day the previous week.

Here’s
what to know about Stage 1 water restrictions in Raleigh:

Automatic and non-automatic spray irrigation is allowed between midnight and 1 a.m. Homes with odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesdays. Homes with even-numbered addresses may water on Wednesdays. Irrigationof landscapes is recommended at a maximum of one-half inch per week. Water customers must abide by required water use reductions and efficiency measures; penalties apply for noncompliance.

The city has published details about what State 2 or Stage 3 water restrictions would entail.

If someone spots a violation, the best way to report it is to email Water.Conservation@raleighnc.gov.