Water Conservation Needed

The City of Gastonia joins other area municipalities in urging voluntary water conservation
The City of Gastonia, along with other municipalities and large water providers in the Catawba-Wateree River Basin, is urging voluntary water conservation to its customers at the request of the Catawba-Wateree Drought Management Advisory Group (CW-DMAG), coordinated by Duke Energy. CW-DMAG has elevated the drought status from Stage 0 (watch) to Stage 1 (voluntary conservation).
In Gastonia, Stage 1 voluntary water conservation is aimed at reducing water usage by three to five percent by both residential and commercial water users. Examples of voluntary reductions are: reducing lawn watering to two days per week; encouraging the use of flow restriction devices in homes and businesses where feasible; and requesting that residents and business owners wash their vehicles at facilities that recycle wash water.
CW-DMAG elevated the need for water conservation from a Stage 0 (watch) status, to Stage 1 level (voluntary conservation) because the region's water supply from the Catawba-Wateree system of lakes continues to be affected by a shortage of rain and abnormally high temperatures. The long-range weather forecasts and drought projections suggest a continuing deterioration of water storage in the Catawba-Wateree Basin, which may prompt CW-DMAG to declare Stage 2, or mandatory restrictions, sometime in August. The City of Gastonia will notify its water customers of any change in the official drought status.