Water Restriction & Drought News
Original reporting on drought, heat, and water restrictions across the US — reservoir levels, watering bans, conservation orders, and what they mean for residents.
Calgary makes outdoor watering limits permanent, and drought is not the reason
Calgary council voted 10-5 to make outdoor watering limits permanent under Water Utility Bylaw 40M2006 — a response to feeder main failures and system leakage, not to drought.
By Fiona MacLeod ·
Vernon pitches Swan Lake as an emergency water source to the province
RDNO directors met the water minister on July 16 with two short-term emergency proposals, including drawing from Swan Lake into the Goose Lake system, as Stage 3 restrictions prove insufficient.
By Fiona MacLeod ·
Kamloops cuts lawn watering to once a week as Drought Level 4 takes effect
Kamloops moved to Drought Level 4 on July 20, reducing lawn watering to one day a week. Drip irrigation is still permitted three days a week, and the city says a brown lawn does not raise wildfire risk.
By Fiona MacLeod ·
Metro Vancouver drops to Stage 2 after tunnel work ends supply outage
Metro Vancouver eased from Stage 3 to Stage 2 on July 16 after a bypass restored the First Narrows crossing. Lawn watering stays banned, but other outdoor uses reopen.
By Fiona MacLeod ·
BC asks the Okanagan to conserve as salmon streams run critically low
The province has asked Okanagan residents to cut water use as flows fall in four watersheds of concern. Temporary fish protection orders have not been issued, but remain available as a last resort.
By Fiona MacLeod ·
Washington's Hottest July Fourth on Record Caps a Heat Wave That Rewrote East Coast Records
Washington hit 102°F on July 4 — its hottest Independence Day on record — as a June 28–July 5 heat dome shattered East Coast records, strained power grids and drove ER visits to extreme levels.
By Claire Dunham ·
Denver Water Holds at Stage 1 as Drought Pricing Shows Up on June Bills
Denver Water's temporary drought pricing is now on June bills as the utility holds at Stage 1, with reservoirs 79% full and a two-day watering schedule for 1.5 million customers.
By Rachel Mercer ·
Durham Holds the Triangle's Toughest Watering Ban as Lake Michie Drops Toward 40 Percent
Durham skipped straight to Stage 2 as Lake Michie falls toward 40% of supply, with about 100 days of water left and officials saying only a tropical system would refill the reservoirs.
By Marcus Webb ·
El Niño Plus Climate Change: Why 2026's Back-to-Back Heat Domes Were So Extreme
Two heat domes in ten days put 130 million Americans under extreme heat. How El Niño and a warmer climate baseline combined to shatter records — and what it means for water supplies.
By Nathan Cross ·
Heat Wave Strains US Power Grids: Why 3-8 p.m. Is the Blackout Danger Window
Grid operators warn of possible rolling blackouts during 3-8 p.m. peak hours as a second heat dome strains western and central US grids. Why the window matters and how households should prepare.
By Nathan Cross ·
Loris, SC Orders Mandatory Severe-Drought Water Limits as the Pee Dee Dries Out
Loris, SC activated mandatory severe-drought rules July 1, doubling rates above 6,000 gallons a month, as the July 9 Drought Monitor pushed extreme drought across the Pee Dee River Basin.
By Marcus Webb ·
Raleigh Nears Stage 2 Water Restrictions as Falls Lake Keeps Falling
Falls Lake fell to 62% even after 3 inches of rain, and Raleigh's city manager can now trigger a Stage 2 sprinkler ban early. What the shift means for 650,000 water customers.
By Marcus Webb ·
Virginia Drought Warning Spreads to the Roanoke Valley as Salem Asks Residents to Cut Back
Salem, Va., asked customers to voluntarily cut water use starting July 9 after a state Drought Warning for the Roanoke Valley, where Carvins Cove reservoir is not refilling after months of low rain.
By Claire Dunham ·
Second Heat Dome Bakes the West: Palm Springs Nears 117°F, Phoenix Stuck Above 110°F
A second heat dome has Palm Springs near 117°F and Phoenix stuck above 110°F, with area heat deaths more than triple last year's pace. How dry-heat residents can stay safe.
By Rachel Mercer ·
How the Western Heat Wave Melted the Snowpack Early, Setting Up Water and Fire Trouble
How the West's record heat wave rushed the mountain snowmelt, left Denver's reservoirs at 79% and triggered mandatory watering limits — and why fire, grid and food pressures follow.
By Rachel Mercer ·