Siler City and Chatham County Southwest District are no longer under Stage 1 voluntary water restrictions. 

Multiple days of heavy rain across much of North Carolina helped increase the water level for the Siler City water filtration facility. The reservoirs at the facility were up to 85% capacity as of July 29. 

That's above the 70% level that triggers Stage 1 restrictions, meaning water users in Siler City and Chatham County Southwest District are no longer being asked to voluntarily curb their water usage. See a map of current water restrictions here.

However, water conservation is always something to strive for. Not only does it help our resources last longer, it also helps save you money.

While the recent bout of rain replenished the reservoir, another dry spell combined with high water usage could cause the system to slip back into voluntary restrictions. Simple water conscious steps -- such as taking shorter showers, only running full laundry loads, and limiting unnecessary outdoor water use -- can make a big difference in protecting our water resources and prolonging the need to enact water restrictions.

Previous Alert [Sent 7/15/26]:

Despite recent rain, extreme drought conditions persist throughout much of North Carolina, and those conditions have resulted in reduced water levels for the Siler City water filtration facility. 

The facility pulls water from the Rocky River north of Highway 421. The reservoir there can hold more than 800 million gallons of raw water, and the plant typically produces around 3 million gallons of finished water per day. When the reservoir dips below 70 percent capacity, it triggers a stage 1 water shortage warning. That is the first and least restrictive action level. 

The water shortage warning calls for water users to reduce their normal water consumption by 10 percent – by eliminating outdoor water use, preventing water waste, washing only full loads of clothes and dishes, and repairing all water leaks.

Water reduction activities with stage 1 are all voluntary and there are no penalties for noncompliance. However, voluntarily working together to reduce water consumption now will give the reservoir a better chance to refill. That way we can hopefully avoid moving to stage 2 mandatory water restrictions. 

Affected areas in this water restriction include all of Siler City as well as part of Chatham County. Chatham County Southwest district receives some of its water from Siler City, which means that area will also be placed under stage 1 restrictions. See a map of the affected areas here.