Sprinklers, hoses and home car washes across Charlotte are about to hit a hard stop. Charlotte Water will move to Low Inflow Protocol Stage 2 and impose mandatory water restrictions starting Friday, May 15, as drought tightens across the Catawba-Wateree basin. The new rules will limit outdoor irrigation, prohibit home car washing and restrict residential pool filling while utility managers work to preserve reservoir storage and maintain drinking water service.
Beginning May 15, lawn and landscape irrigation will be limited to two days per week - odd-numbered addresses on Tuesdays and Saturdays, even-numbered on Wednesdays and Sundays - and only before 6 a.m. or after 6 p.m. Customers are asked to cap watering at no more than one inch per week, including rainfall, according to The Charlotte Observer. Home car washing will be banned while commercial car washes may remain open, and pool top-offs will be restricted to certain days in the early-morning or evening window. The Observer also reports that violators could face fines starting at $100.
How the regional protocol works
Charlotte’s move follows regional guidance under the Low Inflow Protocol used by utilities that draw from the Catawba-Wateree system. Per Charlotte Water, Stage 2 is a mandatory level with a reduction goal of about 5 to 10 percent and allows utilities to implement restrictions, enforcement and variances as needed. The protocol is driven by river, stream and reservoir data monitored by the Drought Management Advisory Group.
Lake levels and regional triggers
The Catawba-Wateree basin supplies water for more than two million people, and streams and reservoirs across the chain have dropped well below normal, prompting the move to Stage 2, local reporting shows. WBTV notes that Lake Norman and other reservoirs are several feet below full pool and that parts of Mecklenburg, Cabarrus and Union counties are classified in extreme or exceptional drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Enforcement and exceptions
Under the protocol, utilities can enforce mandatory measures and consider variances for essential services or critical customers. Charlotte Water lays out enforcement steps, reduction targets and customer contacts for businesses and large users in need of exemptions on its drought resources page, and the utility says it will implement enforcement and variances as conditions require.
What residents should do now
Residents are being urged to start conserving immediately - fix leaks, shift irrigation to the allowed windows, run full loads of laundry and avoid nonessential outdoor washing. A hydropower expert told WFAE that reduced dam releases and low inflows make early conservation especially important, and the City of Charlotte posted the Stage 2 notice on its social channels. City of Charlotte on X outlined the May 15 start date and the main restrictions.
Charlotte Water and regional partners will reassess conditions and update customers as lake and river data change. Local outlets like WSOC will carry ongoing coverage, and customers with questions should contact their water utility for specifics.
