Despite recent rains, North Carolinians encouraged to conserve water amid ongoing drought

Even as rain has fallen over much of North Carolina, the majority of the state is still facing drought conditions. The rain has not made up for double-digit precipitation deficits that have been building since last fall. North Carolinians are encouraged to conserve water as the long-running drought continues to impact water reservoirs and other water supplies.  

Ongoing rainfall that has brought flash flooding to parts of the state is expected to yield short-term improvements in drought conditions. However, this rain is not expected to allow the state to fully recover from a months-long drought, which has brought rainfall deficits of more than 20 inches in some parts of the state. 

“The big concerns are the reservoir levels,” said Klaus Albertin, chair of the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council and water resources engineer with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources. “Forecasts have called for 3 to 5 inches of rain in the next week, and we’ve seen some areas get significant accumulations already on Thursday. It’s not going to bring everything back up to full, but it’s going to make a difference. Even if areas get 4 inches of rain, some will still be a dozen inches behind. Some of that water will be captured by reservoirs, and some won’t. It’s going to take a while to really get out of this one.” 

Recent rains between July 14 and 21 improved drought conditions in some parts of the state, but all counties are still characterized as being in drought or experiencing abnormally dry conditions. The rainfall helped maintain water levels in some reservoirs, but reservoirs across the state are below normal, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Streamflow and groundwater levels are also below normal.   

Albertin said there are indications that the recent precipitation trend maybe shifting, bringing more regular rains and significant precipitation. According to the North Carolina State Climate Office, July has brought more rain than April, May and June combined. That has likely made lawns and gardens greener, but Albertin cautioned that we are still in the hot summer months when people typically use more water. Replenishing reservoirs also depends on where the rain falls. The rainfall that brought flash flooding to parts of the state will be reflected in next week’s drought assessment. 

The public should check with their local water supply system for any information on water use restrictions that may be in place, such as restrictions on sprinklers, car washing or other measures. Systems may also have tips for conserving water, such as washing only full loads of laundry. 

“All of our reservoirs are still challenged,” Albertin said. “The last few weeks have really helped them stabilize, but we’re not seeing improvements yet. It’s a good thing, but we’re going to need more rain for them to start filling up.” 

According to the classifications released Thursday by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council, two counties, Brunswick and Rockingham, are in exceptional drought, the highest drought classification. Another 32 counties are in extreme drought, 48 counties are in severe drought and seven counties are in moderate drought. Eleven counties are classified as abnormally dry. 

For counties in exceptional or extreme drought, water systems are advised to follow their Water Shortage Response Plans and adhere to water use reduction measures. Systems must report weekly water use and conservation status online at the Water Use Reporting website. More information on what the classifications mean for water systems and the public is available online at ncdrought.org. 

DMAC is a collaboration among drought experts from various government agencies in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, and organized by DWR. DMAC members meet weekly and submit their drought condition recommendations to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center for updates to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a map of the nation’s drought conditions. DMAC’s drought map is updated weekly on Thursdays, based on conditions through the previous Tuesday. To view North Carolina’s drought map, visit www.ncdrought.org.