drinking water

Durham reservoirs sink to 37% despite another round of rain

The city now reports 90 days of readily accessible water. Lake Michie and Little River Reservoir continued to fall, and Stage 2 restrictions remain in effect.

Wes Platt

Wes Platt

— 5 min read
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Durham reservoirs sink to 37% despite another round of rain
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Rain reached both of Durham’s drinking-water reservoirs last week, but it wasn’t enough to stop their continued decline.

Lake Michie and Little River Reservoir were at a combined 37% of capacity as of Oct. 18, according to the City of Durham’s latest water supply snapshot. That was down from 39.7% on Oct. 12 and 43% on Oct. 1.

The city estimates that Durham has 90 days of readily accessible reservoir water remaining, down from 92 days a week earlier.

Durham remains in severe drought and under mandatory Stage 2 water restrictions. The city hasn’t announced a move to Stage 3, although Water Management warned in its Oct. 12 update that tighter restrictions remained possible if conditions continued to deteriorate.

Rain fell, but the lakes kept dropping

The city recorded 1.60 inches of rain at Lake Michie during the first 18 days of October. Little River Reservoir received 0.77 inches.

That means Lake Michie received another 0.67 inches between Oct. 11 and Oct. 18, while Little River received another 0.71 inches.

Despite that rain, both lake elevations continued to fall.

Lake Michie stood at 330.14 feet above mean sea level on Oct. 18. That was 10.86 feet below its full elevation of 341 feet and 0.82 feet lower than on Oct. 8.

Little River Reservoir stood at 337.37 feet, 17.63 feet below its full elevation of 355 feet and 1.43 feet lower than on Oct. 8.

Rain must fall in the watersheds that feed the reservoirs, and in sufficient amounts, to offset water use and evaporation. A few rainy days across Durham don’t necessarily translate into a sustained reservoir recovery.

By the numbers

37%

Combined reservoir storage

Down from 39.7% on Oct. 12
90 days

Readily accessible reservoir water remaining

Down from 92 days
157 days

Total estimated supply, including less accessible water and Teer Quarry

Up from 156 days
24.71 MGD

30-day average demand placed on Durham’s reservoirs

Down from 26.20 MGD on Oct. 11
29.83 million gallons

Durham’s total water demand on Oct. 18

32.05 MGD

Average daily demand during the first 18 days of October

The total supply estimate includes 90 days of readily accessible reservoir water, 48 days of less accessible water below the intake structures, and 19 days in Teer Quarry.

Why did total supply rise by a day?

Durham’s total modeled supply increased from 156 to 157 days even as the reservoirs lost water.

That doesn’t mean the city gained a day’s worth of stored water. The calculation uses a 30-day running average of demand on the reservoirs, which fell from 26.20 million gallons per day on Oct. 11 to 24.71 million gallons per day on Oct. 18.

When average demand falls, the remaining supply is projected to last longer. That can cause the days-of-supply estimate to rise even as the amount of water in the lakes continues to shrink.

The 157-day figure is a planning estimate, not a fixed countdown. Of that total, only 90 days are considered readily accessible through the reservoirs’ intake structures.

Demand eases but remains above last October

Durham’s average daily water demand fell from 32.56 million gallons during the first 11 days of October to 32.05 million gallons through Oct. 18.

That remains higher than the October 2025 average of 30.75 million gallons per day.

The lower 30-day demand on the reservoirs may also reflect water Durham receives from other sources. Water Management has said it continues to purchase the city’s Jordan Lake allocation from the Town of Cary and draw water from Teer Quarry.

Stage 2 restrictions continue

Stage 2 restrictions apply to City of Durham water customers, but not residents using private wells.

Under Stage 2:

  • Spray irrigation with city water is prohibited, including automatic systems and hose-end sprinklers.
  • Hand watering, drip irrigation, soaker hoses, and tree or shrub watering bags are allowed.
  • Residents can’t use city water to wash vehicles at home. Commercial and institutional car washes may operate if they meet city requirements.
  • City water can’t be used to clean driveways, sidewalks, decks, parking lots, or building exteriors except for health and safety reasons or before painting.
  • Pools can receive only enough water to replace evaporation or spillage and keep chemical systems operating.
  • Restaurants should serve drinking water only when customers ask for it.

Suspected violations can be reported through the city’s online form or by calling Durham One Call at 919-560-1200.

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