Water restrictions eased in Brunswick County following drought improvement

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick County has eased its water restrictions as drought conditions, water usage and system demands show signs of improvement.

The county announced Monday that it has moved from a Stage 3 Water Shortage Warning to a Stage 2 Mandatory Water Conservation Alert.

Under Stage 2, some water restrictions are reduced or removed, and the county’s automatic irrigation schedule has been expanded.

Brunswick County said the change follows improvements in several factors it monitors, including daily water usage, system demand, rainfall, weather forecasts and drought conditions.

As of Aug. 13, Brunswick County was classified as being in Extreme Drought (D3) by the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council. Extreme Drought is the second-highest category on the U.S. Drought Monitor’s drought scale.

Despite the improvement, county officials are still urging residents to conserve water.

Residents are encouraged to consider weather forecasts and conditions around their designated irrigation days to avoid overwatering lawns. The county notes that about one inch of water per week during the summer is generally enough to keep most types of grass healthy.

A full list of mandatory water-use adjustments and exceptions is available through Brunswick County’s WaterWise program.