What is a Water Shortage?
A water shortage occurs when the available water supply falls short of community needs. This can happen gradually due to seasonal droughts or suddenly because of water main breaks, infrastructure failures, or supply contamination. Because clean water is vital for drinking, sanitation, dining, healthcare, and fire suppression, any disruption requires a significant, community-wide effort to preserve critical resources.
The City of Durham is in a Stage 2 Water Shortage
Mandatory water-use restrictions are in effect for all City of Durham water customers, including Duke University. Current restrictions and rules, as well as information on current water levels, can be found at the Durham Water Management website.
Surrounding County Water Resources
TriRiver Water provides water management services to much of Chatham County, including Sanford, Pittsboro, and Siler City. Visit their NewsFlash page for updates and news.
South Granville Water and Sewer Authority (SGWASA) provides water management services to much of Granville County, including Butner, Creedmoor, and Stem. Visit their News page for updates and news.
The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) provides water management services to Orange County. Visit their Water Watch page for daily updates on community water data.
City of Roxboro Public Services provides water management services to much of Person County.
Raleigh Water provides water management services to Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightsdale, Wendell, and Zebulon. Visit their Water Supply and Drought Status page for current conditions, reservoir levels, and drought response information.
Before
Water Shortage Preparedness
Routinely review how you use water at work, school, and home. Consider how a temporary loss of water or water pressure might impact your activities and how you could adjust to minimize the disruption. Review and update your Continuity Plans, Lab Protocols, and other critical water uses accordingly.
- Know where to go for information about drought and water shortages where you work and live.
- Build conservation habits early - simple routines, such as turning off the water when brushing your teeth, can help you be better prepared and can minimize the baseline strain on community resources.
- Help conserve resources, even when there is no shortage, by reporting running toilets, dripping faucets, or pipe leaks in university buildings to Facilities Management and in Duke Health, School of Medicine, or School of Nursing buildings to Engineering and Operations immediately.
- Report Water-Related Safety Concerns, such as flooding or electrical hazards to Duke Police immediately by calling 919-684-2444 or using the LiveSafe app.
During:
Basic actions you can take to support water conservation efforts include:
- Reducing your daily usage: Take shorter showers (aim for 5 minutes or less), turn off the faucet completely while brushing your teeth, shaving or doing dishes, and only wash clothes when the machine is fully loaded.
- Avoid unnecessary water usage: Avoid washing vehicles, sidewalks, and other outdoor areas. Avoid water-based recreational activities, except where permitted by local rules (lakes, rivers, community pools, etc).
If the water shortage or outage is due to an infrastructure or contamination concern, ensure that you are following the right steps to make your water safe.
During any water outage:
Regardless of the reason for the water shortage, the most important thing you can do is follow the instructions from your local water provider and emergency services.
After:
Remain Aware:
Even after authorities have announced the end of the water shortage, remain alert for any issues and notify authorities of leaks, drips, floods, or other occurrences.
Once your local water provider and/or emergency services have announced that the water shortage has ended:
- Follow any specific instructions provided by local authorities.
- Continue to conserve resources where you can - minimize unnecessary use of water and report leaks, drips, and floods whenever you notice them.