Drought conditions in Alexandria and other parts of Virginia have prompted the city’s drinking water utility to ask customers to voluntarily conserve water.
Virginia American Water issued the notice to residential customers amid the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s recent drought warning advisories. The utility says the guidance only applies to non-essential residential usage, not businesses or industries.
As of July 21, the Virginia DEQ’s Drought Monitoring Task Force placed Northern Virginia under a drought warning. Drought conditions are determined not only by precipitation but groundwater levels, reservoir levels, soil moisture and streamflow.
All of Virginia American Water’s service areas are under a drought warning, while the Southside of Virginia is experiencing a drought emergency.
“The lack of precipitation and increased water demand in the hot summer months has impacted source water levels,” said Charles Piekanski, vice president of Virginia American Water. “We’re asking our residential customers to voluntarily reduce non-essential water use in an effort to avoid additional restrictions.”
According to DEQ, 28 community water utilities have mandatory conservation measures, 234 systems have voluntary conservation measures and 25 systems have issued tips for water conservation.
Virginia American Water recommends the following tips for voluntary water conservation:
- Water your lawn and garden on alternating days. When you do, water in the early morning or evening to reduce evaporation.
- Turn off ornamental fountains.
- Limit washing of vehicles, boats, trailers and paved surfaces.
- Limit filling and topping off your swimming pools.
- Run dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are full. If you have a water-saver cycle, use it.
- Regularly check your toilet, faucets, and pipes for leaks with our free leak detection resources. If you find a leak, have it fixed as soon as possible.
- Install water-saving showerheads, toilets and faucet aerators.
- Consider water and energy-efficient appliances. Products and services that have earned the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20% more efficient while maintaining performance.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or washing dishes in the sink.
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