SEATTLE — After nearly an inch more rain than the monthly average in the first two weeks, the City of Seattle is no longer requesting that more than a million customers reduce their water consumption.
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) announced Monday that along with voluntary conservation efforts, strong rains in November and December across western Washington have refilled reservoirs and stabilized the water supply for the foreseeable future.
In September, SPU asked around 1.5 million people who get water from Seattle to use less of it. While the request was voluntary, SPU warned that sustained lower water levels in the reservoirs could lead to mandatory water reductions in the year's final months.
Typically, 26 inches of rain from May through September helps fill mountain reservoirs. This year, only about a quarter of that rain fell.
It was the first time since 2015 that Seattle made such a request to the public.
SPU said the recent rains have brought the Cedar and Tolt watersheds to 100% of their normal levels. The South Fork Tolt Reservoir has increased its water level but remains lower than in a typical year.
“Our customers answered the call to voluntarily reduce their water use, and we can’t thank them enough,” SPU General Manager Andrew Lee said in a release. “It’s not always easy or convenient to change one’s routine when it comes to lawn watering, showering, or addressing toilet leaks. Our customers took our tips to heart and reduced their water use to help achieve our goal.”
As of Dec. 10, Sea-Tac has measured 6.67" of rain. The average for December as a whole is 5.72."
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
