Two cities in Virginia's Hampton Roads region are urging households and businesses to cut back on water use as unusually dry conditions strain local reservoirs.
Officials in Norfolk and Virginia Beach have said conserving water could help the region avoid tougher restrictions if the shortage worsens.
Here's what to know
Norfolk issued a Condition II drought notification on Sept. 10, and Virginia Beach issued a similar conservation request the next day, according to WAVY. Rainfall has not eased pressure on the water systems serving the two cities.
As of that day, the Hampton Roads region was 7.14 inches below its average annual rainfall, according to Jeff Edmondson, chief meteorologist for Super Doppler 10. He told WAVY that Norfolk and Virginia Beach are listed as D0, or "abnormally dry," on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Regional drought maps do not fully reflect the conditions affecting Norfolk's own reservoir system.
In a statement to WAVY, a city spokesperson said, "The drought monitor is a broad look at conditions for a large area rather than specific target areas. Where the Western Branch Reservoir is located still falls within drought conditions and is roughly seven feet below average."
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The same statement added, "The total system storage is currently at 79%, which is nearly 10% below the historical average."
More background
Under Norfolk's Condition II notice, a range of non-essential water uses is restricted. Those include watering lawns and landscaping, washing vehicles, operating decorative fountains, using fire hydrants for non-emergencies, filling pools, and washing infrastructure or pavement unless it is strictly necessary for an immediate public health or safety emergency. Restaurants may serve water only when customers ask for it.
The local requests come after an appeal in June, when Gov. Abigail Spanberger's office urged Virginians to conserve water as drought conditions affected much of the Commonwealth. The office said the state was in its driest summer stretch since 1941.
What's being done?
Officials are trying to reduce demand before conditions worsen. Norfolk and Virginia Beach have both placed water-conservation guidance prominently on their government websites, asking residents and businesses to cut unnecessary use.
Voluntary conservation measures have been requested both indoors and outside. WAVY reported that suggested steps include shortening showers, turning off the tap while brushing teeth or washing dishes, using dishwashers and washing machines only for full loads, and repairing dripping faucets or toilets that keep running.
Outdoors, Norfolk recommended checking watering equipment for leaks or unwanted watering cycles, using mulch to help soil retain moisture, and collecting rainwater in covered containers for plants.
Where can I learn more?
Low reservoir levels have prompted officials in Virginia and elsewhere to ask for conservation, impose tighter limits, and rethink long-term water supplies.
• In Bogotá, Colombia, officials began water rationing for 9 million as reservoirs and supplies shrank.
• California imposed permanent water restrictions on cities as officials adapted to harsher drought realities.
• Cities worldwide are pursuing extreme water recycling to buffer drought-driven shortages and rising demand.
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