Durham begins buying OWASA water as accessible supply falls to 83 days

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Southpoint AccessWes Platt

Durham began buying water from the Orange Water and Sewer Authority on Monday as the city’s estimate of readily accessible reservoir water fell to 83 days.

The city’s combined reservoir storage stood at 33% as of Nov. 1, down from 34% on Oct. 26. The readily accessible supply estimate fell from 87 days to 83 days during the same period.

Durham also is continuing to buy part of its Jordan Lake allocation from the Town of Cary and pump water from Teer Quarry. The city’s Nov. 2 update didn’t say how much water Durham is buying from OWASA.

Stage 2 mandatory water restrictions remain in effect. City officials said Stage 3 remains a possibility, and Durham County continues to be classified in severe drought.

By the numbers

Durham adds another outside water source

The new OWASA purchase is the most notable change in Durham’s supply strategy since the previous update.

As of Nov. 2, Durham said it was using four approaches to meet demand and protect its reservoirs:

• Treating water from Lake Michie and Little River Reservoir
• Buying part of Durham’s Jordan Lake allocation from Cary
• Pumping water from Teer Quarry
• Buying water from OWASA

The city didn’t provide the volume or expected duration of the OWASA purchase in its announcement.

The move doesn’t change Durham’s drought stage. Stage 2 remains in effect, and the city said Stage 3 could still become necessary depending on demand, weather, and supply conditions.

Total estimated supply falls to 152 days

Durham’s broader supply estimate fell from 156 days on Oct. 26 to 152 days on Nov. 1. The new estimate includes:

• 83 days of readily accessible reservoir water, down from 87
• 51 days of less accessible water below the intake structures, up from 50
• 18 days in Teer Quarry emergency storage, down from 19

Those supplies aren’t equally accessible. The first 83 days represent water above the reservoirs’ intake levels. Accessing water below those structures would require additional measures, while Teer Quarry is a separate emergency source.

The figures also aren’t a countdown to dry taps. They’re planning estimates based partly on recent demand, and they can change with water use, rainfall, streamflow, and reservoir conditions.

The 30-day average demand placed on Durham’s reservoirs declined from 23.80 million gallons per day to 23.46 million gallons per day. Even with that reduction, the accessible-supply estimate fell by four days.

Reservoir levels continue to decline

The latest lake-level readings posted by the city were taken Oct. 28:

• Lake Michie: 329.10 feet, or 11.90 feet below full. That’s 0.16 feet lower than the Oct. 26 reading.
• Little River Reservoir: 336.75 feet, or 18.25 feet below full. That’s 0.09 feet lower than the Oct. 26 reading.

The city reported no rainfall at either reservoir on Nov. 1. Year-to-date rainfall remained at 29.48 inches at Lake Michie and 22.42 inches at Little River Reservoir.

City officials said the 10-day forecast included a chance of needed rain, but they didn’t expect enough precipitation to substantially improve the water-supply situation.

The city marks its water data as provisional and subject to change.

A one-day November demand snapshot

Durham used 31.85 million gallons of water on Nov. 1. Because that was also the only day included in the city’s November month-to-date average, it’s too early to treat the figure as a monthly trend.

For context, Durham’s average daily demand was 28.13 million gallons in November 2025. The citywide demand figure includes water supplied from sources beyond the reservoirs, which is why it’s higher than the 23.46 million-gallon 30-day average attributed specifically to reservoir demand.

Stage 2 restrictions remain in effect

The mandatory rules for City of Durham water customers include:

• Don’t use spray irrigation, including hose-end sprinklers. There are no scheduled spray-watering days under Stage 2.
• Hand watering, drip irrigation, and tree or shrub watering bags are allowed.
• Don’t wash vehicles with city water at home. Commercial and institutional car washes are allowed.
• Don’t use city water to wash sidewalks, driveways, decks, or building exteriors unless it’s needed for health or safety, or before painting.
• Don’t add water to decorative fountains, ponds, or pools unless the water is recycled.
• Restaurants should serve drinking water only when customers request it.
• Users consuming more than 100,000 gallons a day should work toward a 30% reduction and document their efforts.

Some exemptions apply, including for properties operating under approved water-conservation plans. Residents and businesses should review the city’s Durham Saves Water page for the complete rules.

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