Decatur enacts water conservation requirements amid drought

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The City of Decatur is implementing water conservation requirements as Lake Decatur's water levels continue to drop amid drought conditions.

The city said Lake Decatur is over three feet below the normal level and continues to slowly decline due to evaporation and a lack of consistent rain. The lake is the primary water source for the City of Decatur and the Village of Mt. Zion.

Decatur is now moving to stage 1 water rationing and asks that all water customers adhere to the water conservation requirements.

Stage 1 rationing is the precursor to the actual beginning of water rationing, which the city said will be necessary if drought conditions continue for an extended period of time.

Stage 1 rationing includes:

Use of water to maintain lawns, golf courses, athletic fields and all other vegetation is allowed only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday of each week. This does not apply to commercial gardening, landscaping, and plant nursery facilities.
The pumping of water from Lake Decatur for irrigation purposes is prohibited.
The initial filling of hot tubs, swimming pools, and ponds is prohibited.
Washing of any vehicles is prohibited except at commercial car wash facilities, car detailing facilities, and at car sales facilities.
The pre-serving of water at restaurants is prohibited unless requested by the customer.
Detectable water leaks must be repaired within 72 hours of discovery. If the leak is not repaired in this time frame, then the leaking service may be shut off by the city.

According to the City of Decatur, weather outlooks for this winter and spring are promising, but it is being proactive in accordance with its drought action plan.

The city said it is currently tapping into alternative water sources to further supplement the water supply and reviewing other options. Officials are also communicating with the 24 largest water users for their help with conservation.

Voluntary ways to further reduce water usage include only running washing machines and dishwashers when full, taking short showers instead of baths, and avoiding leaving the water running when doing dishes, washing hands, shaving or brushing teeth.

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