Water restrictions in rainy Seattle? Dry conditions have 1.5M residents on asked to conserve

As one of the rainiest cities in the country contends with an unusual stretch of dry weather, utility officials in Seattle have asked the surrounding community to reduce their water consumption. 

There is the potential for steady rain showers to be delayed if dry conditions persist as forecasted, which has water supply managers with Seattle Public Utilities concerned about having enough water for people and fish. 

Seattle, on average, is consuming about 149 million gallons per day as of Sept. 18, according to an announcement from SPU. 

About 1.5 million people, including Seattle residents, businesses, and those who get water services in other cities and other water districts in King County will be asked by SPU to conserve water. 

“Our hydrologic model suggests a deep drawdown of our mountain reservoirs. Water levels are already lower than average, and we are adjusting to sustain adequate water supply for our customers and the rivers this fall,” according to SPU water resources planner Elizabeth Garcia. 

The best way to help is by voluntarily reducing water use, Garcia said. 

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What is the goal?

The goal is to reduce the number of gallons consumed per day by about 49 million gallons. That means the stretch goal for Seattle residents, businesses and other areas serviced is to only consume a total of 100 million gallons of water per day. 

Ideally, the region will remain at that water consumption quantity or just below it until there is enough rainfall to refill the mountain reservoirs sufficiently, SPU said. 

“If we work together to reduce water use in our homes, businesses, and outside, we can meet this goal. Everyone can help by doing things such as taking shorter or fewer showers, stopping lawn watering, washing only full loads of laundry and dishes, and fixing water leaks, especially running toilets,” SPU water conservation manager Anna Dyer said.

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How much is a million gallons of water?

The best way to visualize how much a million gallons of water might be is to think about a bathtub filled to brim with water. A good-sized bathtub can hold about 40 gallons so a million gallons would be best held in 25,000 bathtubs, according to United States Geological Survey’s website.

When was the last time Seattle had to watch their water?

Despite the increase of dry conditions present in the region over the years, SPU hasn’t asked Seattle-based residents to reduce their water use very often. 

To provide some context, the  last time SPU activated a Water Shortage Contingency Plan was in 2015. 

In fact, Seattle Water customers are known to be great water stewards, SPU said. 

Even though the regional water system went from providing water to 1.5 million people instead of 1 million people in the last four decades, the region still uses the same amount of water they did in the 1950s. 

“Our customers do a great job using water wisely every day. We’re just asking them to do a little more right now until our water supply improves,” Dyer said.

What is the best way for me to conserve water?

Seattle Public Utilities has provided a handy tip sheet to help customers in the region conserve water. 

Here are the tips outlined for homes: 

• Take shorter or fewer showers 
• Take a shower instead of a bath 
• Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes 
• Check for and fix leaks, especially running toilets
•  Turn off the tap while brushing teeth/shaving 
• Use water wisely and encourage friends and family to do the same