DURHAM -- The lessons learned from the drought are still on the minds of city and county leaders throughout North Carolina. The city of Durham will move to a new tiered rate structure for water and services next week.

Lake levels at the Little River Reservoir and Lake Michie are currently at, or just below, normal. That’s quite a different story from last year when the drought brought the levels down to less than a 90-day supply.

Now even though the reservoir is pretty much full, the city has continued to limit outdoor watering. Water managers said residents are also doing a better job with conservation. Usage has gone down about 5.5 million gallons a day since the same time last year.

The City Council has also approved a new tiered rate structure that's designed to reward customers who use less water by charging lower rates. Essentially, the more water someone uses, the higher the tier and the more they're charged per gallon.

Those rates will go into effect July 1.