Durham’s water utilities warned residents on Nov. 9 that the city has just 78 days of easily accessible water left, with a total supply of 147 days if no additional rainfall enters the watershed, according to the city’s water efficiency manager James Lim. The shortfall comes after months of intense drought that left the city’s two main reservoirs—Lake Mitchie and Little River—at roughly one‑third of their combined capacity.
Durham entered stage‑2 water restrictions in June, limiting non‑essential outdoor use. Lim said the city has not yet triggered stage‑3 restrictions, which would pause outdoor watering entirely, but “it’s definitely a possibility” if the supply continues to dwindle.
To bolster the dwindling supply, Durham is purchasing water from neighboring systems. The city receives about 2 million gallons per day from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) and roughly 9 million gallons per day from its allocation of Jordan Lake through the Town of Cary, which has been supporting Durham since the 2007‑08 drought, according to Cary utilities director Jamie Revels. In addition, Durham is drawing 3‑4 million gallons per day from emergency storage at Teer Quarry.
Rainfall has been minimal: the city recorded only 0.16 inches of rain over the past month, and while an inch fell in southern Durham on a recent Friday, less than a tenth of an inch reached the reservoirs. Lim noted that Durham’s watershed is much smaller than nearby sources such as Falls Lake and Jordan Lake, limiting natural replenishment.
Regional comparisons highlight Durham’s precarious position. Raleigh lifted its water restrictions in August and reports about 63 % of its supply remaining, while Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s OWASA reservoirs sit just over 60 % full, enough for roughly 280 days without rain. Raleigh’s assistant water director Ed Buchan warned that the current drought may become the city’s record‑breaking event, surpassing the 2007‑08 drought, though he does not expect Raleigh to reinstate restrictions because forecasts predict above‑average rainfall in the coming months.
OWASA’s public information officer Katie Hall confirmed that the agency will continue supplying Durham through November, but she cautioned that if other municipalities increase demand, the system may need to reassess its ability to meet external requests.
What’s next: Durham will monitor reservoir levels and rainfall closely. If supplies fall further, the city could move to stage‑3 restrictions, which would halt outdoor watering. Officials will provide updates at the next city council water‑resource meeting scheduled for early December.
Sources: wunc.org
