Charlotte Implements Water Restrictions Amid Severe Drought
In response to prolonged dry conditions, Charlotte Water will enforce mandatory water restrictions starting Friday, May 15, 2026. This decision is in coordination with regional partners under the Low Inflow Protocol’s Stage 2.
Residents are being urged to curtail non-essential water use to safeguard the regional water supply, with the aim of achieving a 5-10% reduction in overall water consumption.
Violators of these mandatory restrictions will incur a minimum fine of $100. The specific restrictions include:
- Limiting lawn and landscape irrigation to two days per week, only between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while even-numbered addresses are allowed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Residential swimming pools can be topped off solely on Thursdays and Sundays, within the same evening and early morning hours.
- Prohibited activities include washing vehicles at home, filling residential pools, operating non-essential water features, power washing surfaces for non-essential purposes, and organizing charity or fundraising car wash events.
In addition to these measures, Charlotte Water suggests further conservation efforts such as minimizing indoor and outdoor water usage, restricting lawn watering to no more than one inch per week (including rainfall), and promptly fixing leaks.
Permitted activities include using drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or hand-watering for plants and landscaping, and patronizing commercial car wash services. Charlotte Water’s spokesperson, Cam Coley, emphasized the importance of mindful water usage.
“Best way to think of that is 1 inch of water per week, and that includes rain,” stated Coley. “So if it rains a 0.5 inch or 1 inch, you don’t need to water your lawn. The other part of that is just any non-essential use that you have in your home, outside your home, just please think of the ways that you can reduce the total amount of water where you can.”
Should conditions deteriorate, more stringent measures may be instituted in accordance with regional guidelines.
Duke Energy, which oversees the region’s water basins via its dam network, announced that commercial users and utilities will also experience restrictions.
“Stage 2 drought conditions mean we have to act now to protect water supplies for essential needs,” commented Jimmy Bagley, deputy city manager for Rock Hill and chair of the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group. “Utilities and large users are implementing the required protocol measures, and we need residents and businesses to immediately cut back on nonessential water use. Every day of conservation matters — and acting early can help prevent even tougher restrictions in the weeks ahead.”
The drought, which began last fall, has intensified over the past eight months, leaving nearly the entire region in either “extreme” or “exceptional” drought conditions, the most severe classifications.
Phil Fragapane of Duke Energy remarked, “This is the first time we have experienced Stage 2 drought conditions in the region since 2009. Acting now will help manage what could be a hot and dry summer.”
