Durham maintains Stage 2 restrictions as reservoir storage hits 55%, leans on regional water transfers
City of Durham Department of Water Management, North Carolina · Meeting date: August 6, 2026 · Published: August 7, 2026
Despite recent rains easing exceptional drought conditions, the City of Durham continues to enforce Stage 2 water restrictions and is relying on neighboring municipalities for 13 million gallons per day to sustain its supply.
Key points
- Durham's reservoir storage currently sits at 55%, providing a 219-day supply, up from a previous low of 145 days.
- The city is importing 9 MGD from the Town of Cary and 4 MGD from the Tier Quarry, having recently paused transfers from neighboring utilities serving Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
- Customers achieved a 14% reduction in water use under Stage 2 restrictions, falling slightly short of the 20% target due to historically low baseline usage.
- Water Management plans to reevaluate its Water Shortage Response Plan after the drought, following council questions about the timing of restriction triggers compared to neighboring Raleigh.
Full report
On August 6, 2026, the City of Durham's Department of Water Management reported that despite recent rains, the city will likely remain under Stage 2 water restrictions until at least the fall. Reservoir storage has climbed to 55%, providing a 219-day supply, but remains significantly below typical non-drought levels.
To manage the shortfall, Durham is heavily relying on regional partnerships. Don Greeley of Water Management told the City Council that Durham is currently importing 9 million gallons per day (MGD) from the Town of Cary and 4 MGD from the Tier Quarry. The city recently discontinued water purchases from the utility serving Chapel Hill and Carrboro after Cary completed water plant maintenance and ramped up its delivery to the full 9 MGD. Greeley noted that staff are analyzing data to determine if the city can begin scaling back these regional purchases by the end of the week.
Current running average demand from Durham's reservoirs is 23 MGD. Under Stage 2 restrictions, the city aimed for a 20% reduction in water use but achieved 14%. Greeley attributed the shortfall to demand hardening, noting that Durham residents are already in the top 10 percent nationally for low water use, making further cuts challenging. The restrictions have also caused localized friction, with Mayor Williams noting that some Homeowners Associations (HOAs) are financially penalizing residents for failing to water their lawns. The City Attorney advised that municipal ordinances should supersede private HOA covenants, though affected residents would need to seek their own legal counsel.
The differing regional impacts of the drought prompted questions from the council about Durham's policy triggers. While neighboring Raleigh recently exited its drought protocols after its water supply rebounded to 83%, Durham remains at 55%. Greeley explained this disparity is due to Durham being higher up in the watershed and missing some localized storms that benefited Raleigh's Falls Lake.
Greeley confirmed that once the drought concludes, the department will reevaluate its Water Shortage Response Plan to determine if restriction triggers need adjustment. Under current modeling, Durham cannot lift Stage 2 restrictions until there is a 95% probability that usable storage will reach 95% within a 10-week window, a threshold Greeley said is unlikely to be met until early or late fall unless a major tropical storm impacts the watershed.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council, City of Durham Department of Water Management