News 14 Carolina's Mercer Van Schoor has more on why some communities are under harsher restrictions than others.
News 14's Johnell Johnson has more on way to conserve water.
CHARLOTTE -- Mecklenburg County will enact its harshest water restrictions ever Wednesday. There will be a complete ban on outdoor lawn watering.
The drought has been so harsh and swift, most of the lakes and creeks usually available for pumping water into homes are no longer usable.
"Second Creek right now we've not been able to pull from. It is extremely low. We estimate 600,000 gallons a day coming down which is below the ability to use our pumps," Wilmer Melton, of Kannapolis Public Works, explained.
Thursday morning at 8 a.m., Concord and Kannapolis residents will join Charlotte in facing mandatory water restrictions that include a complete outdoor ban on lawn watering and irrigation.
"The high heat temperatures and lack of rainfall has really made this drought a bit worse than what we've seen before," Melton sad.
Because area communities pump water out of the Catawba River Basin, residents in most local towns are facing similar water restrictions. But Statesville residents are not.
The drought has been so harsh and swift, most of the lakes and creeks usually available for pumping water into homes are no longer usable.
"The reason for that is because Statesville has options other cities do not have," Statesville water resources director Joe Hudson said.
The South Yadkin River is that option. In 2001, during the last big drought, the city council approved an interbasin transfer to pull water out of the South Yadkin River.
"Due to planning, our council looked down the road many years ahead and thought let's get ready in case this time comes. Well, it's here," said Hudson.
Communities that use the Catawba River Basin are being asked to reduce their water supply by 10 percent. Statesville is reducing its usage by 20 percent and is making up the difference from the South Yadkin River.
If the drought continues, Statesville leaders do expect to consider mandatory water restrictions like our other area communities.
While this is the first time Mecklenburg County has seen an ban on lawn watering and irrigation, Kannapolis and Concord residents saw these restrictions throughout the drought of 2001 thru 2003.
Drought conditions are expected through November.