RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond is calling for voluntary water conservation measures as Virginia faces a significant drought.
Starting Wednesday, July 1, residents will be asked to reduce non-essential water use as rain levels in Virginia lag behind where they typically are by this point in the year.
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The city has not called for voluntary water conservation measures since 2002, according to Mayor Danny Avula.
Avula said small changes can make a meaningful difference, including watering lawns less frequently and washing cars less often. Specific suggested measures will be posted on rva.gov.
"We want people to continue to take showers and brush their teeth and all of those things, right? We're not in a dire straits situation yet. But by being thoughtful about shortening the time of your showers or shutting the faucet off in between when you're shaving or brushing your teeth," Avula said.
Richmond's water treatment plant supplies water to Richmond, Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland and Powhatan, making regional participation critical, Avula said.
"We have multiple sources throughout the region, some of our partners in Henrico are tapping Cobbs Creek or Chesterfield, tapping the Appomattox, and so we will be using other sources to make our way through the summer, but the reality is the entire state has been in a drought situation and so we all, we all need to participate in the voluntary measures," Avula said.
While the measures are not required, Avula said the more people who participate, the better.
"There's little things that we can all do to play our part to make sure that we have enough water to get us through the season and hopefully as we head into the fall we'll see it pick back up," Avula said.
All water conservation updates will be available at rva.gov.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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