Water Conservation Stages

Irrigation & Outdoor Water Uses During Water Conservation Stages

Under the City's Water Shortage Response Plan (WSRP), several water usage activities are targeted to conserve water supplies. The table below lists many outdoor water uses and when they are allowed, adjusted or prohibited during the five Conservation Stages.

PCM: Irrigation of landscapes is recommended at a maximum of one inch per week.
Stage 1: Irrigation of landscapes is recommended at a maximum of one-half inch per week.
Stage 2: Irrigation of landscapes is limited to hand-held hose, bucket watering, athletic fields and drip irrigation.
Stage 3: ALL Irrigation is eliminated

The City of Raleigh's Water Shortage Response Plan (WSRP) has a total of five water conservation stages, three of which encompass drought situations. The table below lists each conservation stage with the trigger for entering the stage, the level of response, and a non-regulatory water consumption goal to help customers rate their conservation level.

The trigger for each stage, denotes when a stage will be entered; the reverse trigger denotes when a stage will end and return to the previous conservation stage. Triggers will also incorporate other factors such as predicted upcoming rainfall and other climate factors to determine the conservation stage. Note that the minimum restrictions are Permanent Conservation Measures, which will always be in effect.

Triggers for Corresponding Conservation Stages

If you would like to know more about the City's Water Shortage Response Plan, please contact Cinnamon Black or the Public Utilities Main Office.