Water advisories issued for part of state

NORWICH, CT (WFSB) – Water customers in the Norwich area are being asked to think about saving water.

Norwich Public Utilities said it had issued a water supply advisory on Monday.

The recommendations ask residential and commercial customers to consider making reasonable adjustments to water use until drought conditions improve.

“While we are not in an emergency situation, we are asking our customers to help us cope with current conditions and reduce their water use when they can,” said Chris LaRose, NPU CEO. “A few small changes in daily routine can make a big difference if enough people respond to our request.”

NPU’s two reservoirs were operating slightly below their 5-year normal cycle and were 79.5 percent full as of Saturday morning.

Now that NPU tanks were below 80 percent full, water supply consultation was required, NPU said. This meant that customers had about 265 days of water supply left.

The advisory will be upgraded to “watch” at 70 percent capacity, or with a remaining supply of 230 days. A “warning” is issued when 60 percent is filled, or when 200 days remain. “Emergency” assumes 50 percent capacity with 180 days remaining.

NHPU and the state Department of Public Health asked people to:

Refrain from washing sidewalks, driveways and patios.
Run dishwashers only when fully loaded.
Do not leave taps running while washing dishes, shaving, brushing your teeth, or washing your hands.
Take shorter showers.
Avoid washing houses and cars.
Fix leaks

No rain is forecast for next week. A Channel 3 meteorologist said the next best chance will be late Sunday through Monday. Read the entire First Alert forecast Here.