Water restrictions in Virginia? (Williamsburg: 2010, cars, areas)

[Upstate Dave]

I've noticed there are many areas in the south with serious water problems the past year, including Virginia. I have a friend in Sterling that told me the reservoir was very low with mandatory water use restrictions in place. And of course there have been reports in the media about the near drought conditions in Georgia and other southern states.

I'm wondering what the current water conditions are throughout Virginia. Is this a normal cycle, an abberation, or becoming an ongoing concern? Please... I'm not inviting any global warming discussions here. I suspect lack of water might be a result of many issues including increasing use of a resource or lack of infrastructure. But I don't know about your area and would like to know.

[Mr Williamsburg]

We have had water restrictions in the Williamsburg/ James City County area for some time ( years) You can only water your lawn and wash your car on alternate days in the summer and not at all on Mondays. In addition our water usage rates are exponential with an increase in usage. The more you use the higher your rate per 1000 gallons.

As the County grows, so does the demand for water. Between 1990 and 1999, our population grew 33.5 percent, from 36,309 to 48,475. During that period our usage increased by 50 percent By 2010, it is expected that our population will grow another 40 percent, and the need for water will also increase. And so the need to conserve. There's only so much water to go around.

[ashbrn4]

Currently, in Loudoun County (where Sterling is located) our reservoir is very, very low and we haven't been able to water lawns or wash cars with hoses for several months. We have had rain, but we're still below the norm. I know that other parts of the state have had restrictions placed on them. More than likely this will rectify itself in the near future. One good snowfall and several months of average to above average rain would take care of it. This is far from the first year that there have been water restrictions and below average rain. Weather is cyclical.