Typically, the rain gauge at Lake Ogletree, Auburn’s primary water source, reaches nearly 15 inches between February and March.
This year, only 9.4 inches fell on the lake, according to Eric Carson, Auburn’s Water Resource Management director.
The Auburn Water Works Board enacted a Phase I drought watch April 21, issuing voluntary restrictions for water customers.
Along with dryer-than-usual conditions, the department is rounding out construction of a new spillway to replace the original 75-year-old one.
Usage also shot up earlier than usual this year, adding to the need for the drought watch, Carson said.
Warmer weather affecting lake The lake will continue to drop as warmer weather continues, allowing workers to finish concrete work on the spillway within the next four to six weeks.
“We’re not going to call the watch off.
We may not, it just all depends how the weather and the summer demands go.” Carson asked customers to simply “use water wisely” to benefit the whole community.
“ For some reason, a lot of people like to water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and our demand will go through the roof on those days,” Carson said.
The city also released its 2016 Consumer Confidence Report that notifies customers about the quality and safety of their drinking water.