Early in the summer, the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto moved the Triangle out of the drought stages, leaving us abnormally dry and Raleigh streets under gallons of water. The total rain count was 7.6 inches of rain in Raleigh.

Well, it seems that what remains of Ernesto might be enough to pull the area out of the moderate drought we have just slipped back into.

Between this afternoon and Friday, the area could get as much as six inches of rain, according to National Weather Service forecasts.

With lake levels about a foot below normal, that may be enough to make use just abnormal again.

Lake Levels

Lake Michie
Today: 336.68 feet mean sea level.
Full: 341.00 feet, mean sea level.
(Lake Michie's level is currently lower because of construction work on the reservoir's dam.)

Little River Reservoir
Today: 353.14 feet, msl.
Full: 355.00 feet, msl.

Falls Lake
Today: 250.29 feet, msl
Full: 251.5 feet, msl

Jordan Lake
Today: 215.85 feet, msl
Full: 216 feet, msl

Wow. It seems like months since About the Drought had much new to say (our last post was in June). And so much has happened since then - we've had record rains from the remains of Tropical Storm Alberto and record heat, our grass has gone from brown to green and back to brown, our pools have been filled and are now about ready to close.

But guess what: The drought is back, baby! And so is this blog.

Drought Diva Sarah Lindenfeld Hall reports that state and federal officials put Wake, Durham and Orange back on a list of counties experiencing moderate drought conditions on Thursday.

Though rain drenched parts of the Triangle this week, precipitation is still more than an inch below normal for the year. Levels at area reservoirs are dropping - Falls Lake, Raleigh's water source, is about a foot below normal. And flows into reservoirs from
streams and other waterways also are low.

The weather forecast for the next couple of weeks predicts little relief, according to the National Weather Service. And, though the peak of hurricane season is ahead, the region isn't guaranteed a soaking from a tropical storm

That could put the Triangle back in the same situation it was in last year when dry weather persisted through the fall and winter. The lack of rain forced local officials to enforce water restrictions.

While it is way too soon to cry parched, About the Drought will offer updates on the conditions a couple times a week. So send us your water questions and comments.

Welcome back!

Thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto that socked Wake County with loads of rain, we can officially say that we are just abnormally dry.

State and federal drought officials said this week that the Triangle no longer is in a moderate drought, but still labnormally dry.

They recommend that people closely monitor their water supply source and continue to conserve water in case weather conditions worsen.

Last week, Tropical Storm Alberto dumped 7.6 inches of rain in Raleigh.

The city, along with other parts of the Triangle, had been suffering from a drought since last year. Raleigh restricted water use in November, but lifted the limits in May when Falls Lake, the cityês water source, returned to its normal level.

From this week's report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

Recent Weather Activity and Watershed Status:
"Although inflows to lakes are much below normal, rain events have helped to maintain or boost inflows temporarily and have refilled and maintained some lake at or near normal levels."

Drought Monitor"

Reservoir Inflows:

Falls Dam
Average inflow for June 1-4: 534 cubic feet per second ( 214 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for June 1-4: 250 cfs

Jordan Dam
Average inflow for June 1-4: 354 cfs (50 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 706 cfs

Rainfall Amounts, Lake Levels, Water Quality and Supply storages:

Falls Lake
Rainfall for June 1-5: 0.89 inches
Normal Rainfall for June: 3.84 inches
Lake Level: 251.5 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 251.5 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining (refers to water to send downstream to preserve water quality): 100 percent

Jordan Lake
Rainfall for June 1-5: 0.42 inches
Normal Rainfall for June: 3.96 inches
Lake Level: 216.4 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 216 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining: 100 percent

From this week's report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

Recent Weather Activity and Watershed Status:
"Rainfall deficits continue and inflows over the past 10 days are seriously much below average. Lakewise [sic], Falls Lake and Kerr Reservoir appear to be the more stressed systems and are below target levels. If overall forecast dry conditions over the next few days materialize, feeder streams will decline and all reservoirs will begin to show more stress."

Drought Monitor"

Reservoir Inflows:

Falls Dam
Average inflow for May 1 to 29: 144 cubic feet per second (38 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 375 cfs

Jordan Dam
Average inflow for May 1 to 29: 398 cfs (40 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 1,005 cfs

Rainfall Amounts, Lake Levels, Water Quality and Supply storages:

Falls Lake
Rainfall for May: 2.54 inches (as of May 30)
Normal Rainfall for May: 3.88 inches
Lake Level: 251.3 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 251.5 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 98 percent
Water Quality storage remaining (refers to water to send down stream for water quality issues): 97 percent

Jordan Lake
Rainfall for May: 2.47 inches (as of May 30)
Normal Rainfall for May: 3.80 inches
Lake Level: 216.5 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 216 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining: 100 percent

Drought Diva Sarah Lindenfeld Hall reports in today's News&Observer that the news media is the reason why many of you believe that Raleigh's growth is to blame for the area's water woes.

In Sarah's story which aimed to explain the connection between growth and the current water situation, Raleigh Public Utilities Director Dale Crisp said it was a misconception promoted by the media about a relationship between the city's growth and its water shortage.

Dale said: "Everybody wans to address the fact that we went to mandatory restrictions based on growth. That's total incorrect. It's based on drought. It hasn't rained normal, and that's what affected the water supply."

Now, we in the media are used to being blamed for all manner of things - a liberal bias, negative reporting, bad hair days - but in our drought coverage we have been very careful not to sensationalize the condition. We've tried to let the numbers (and pictures) speak for themselves.

After all, Dale is right - more rain and a "good" hurricane could change everything with the city's water supply.

And so is UNC water resources planning professor David Moreau - "as that demand grows, it gets nearer to the supply so that when a drought does occur, you're going to draw those reserves down a lot more than you would otherwise."

So what's the solution? A rainy season means that the water flows freely to all the homes and families that have been added to our community. A drought means the opposite.

Tell us what you think. What should Raleigh do in terms of growth and water management? What's the middle ground between drought and homes?

From this week's report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

Recent Weather Activity and Watershed Status:
"Reservior levels continue to remain near target levels due to recent rains. However, both reservoir levels and river flows will need to be monitored as dry weather patterns are expected over the next two weeks. The dry pattern will be accompanied by above average target temperatures."

Drought Monitor

Reservoir Inflows:

Falls Dam
Average inflow for May 1 to 22: 198 cubic feet per second (53 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 375 cfs

Jordan Dam
Average inflow for May 1 to 22: 498 cfs (50 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 1,005 cfs

Rainfall Amounts, Lake Levels, Water Quality and Supply storages:

Falls Lake
Rainfall for May: 2.36 inches (as of May 22)
Normal Rainfall for May: 3.88 inches
Lake Level: 251.6 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 251.5 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining (refers to water to send down stream for water quality issues): 100 percent

Jordan Lake
Rainfall for May: 2.47 inches (as of May 22)
Normal Rainfall for May: 3.80 inches
Lake Level: 217 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 216 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining: 100 percent

After a brief uptick in daily water use after the Raleigh City Council voted to lift restrictions, the pumpages in the Capital City have settled down to pre-restrictions levels.

On Wednesday, May 3, the day after the city lifted restrictions, Raleigh residents used 55.4 million gallons. A week later, the city pumped 48.5 million gallons.

The current rolling average for the past 30 days is 47.4 million gallons per day. That's a slight increase over the 30-day average before the restrictions were lifted - about 0.7 million gallons per day.

The rains and storms that have moved through the area over the past several days have also helped to hold down water usage.

Here are the daily pumpages through Monday.

May 1: 43.1 millions gallons per day
May 2: 49.4 MGD
May 3: 55.4 MGD
May 4: 48.9 MGD
May 5: 49.1 MGD
May 6: 49.2 MGD
May 7: 46.3 MGD
May 8: 44.0 MGD
May 9: 46.4 MGD
May 10: 48.5 MGD
May 11: 47.8 MGD
May 12: 44.7 MGD
May 13: 47.9 MGD
May 14: 47.5 MGD
May 15: 45.4 MGD

The City Council approved the concept of year-round water restrictions Tuesday but asked a committee to hash out the details.

The council’s public works committee will consider year-round restrictions, along with other conservation measures, and report back to the full council. Meeker said he’d like any changes to be in place by November 1.

In response to the drought, the city’s water conservation task force recommended the council limit irrigation to three days a week, based on an address.

City staffers, however, led by City Manager Russell Allen, opposed year-round limits, though endorsed them only for the peak irrigation season from April 1 to Nov. 30, if the council insisted on them.

The council also rejected a proposal that would charge a higher water rate for residential customers who use more than the average amount of water.

The city’s water conservation task force recommends increasing water rates 40 percent for residential water customers using more than 800 cubic feet of water a month. The average household use is 700 cubic feet. City staff had proposed a more conservative rate increase.

Mayor Charles Meeker said he thought the rates would be confusing.

Because we here at About the Drought have too much time to think about the rain, we offered our rainy day mix tape in today's N&O. Unfortunately the rains haven't come yet, so we haven't busted out the turntables yet. (Those who don't dance, we have some rain-related reads too.)

But we welcome your additions to our lists. (Special thanks go to N&O Deputy Metro Editor Thad "DJ Thad Nice" Ogburn and News Researcher Becky Ogburn)

Sounds of showers
From Elvis to Garbage, Prince to Sinatra, here’s our mix tape celebrating May showers:

1. “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” — B.J. Thomas (A gimme for this list)
2. “I Wish it would rain” — The Temptations (This could be our drought theme song)
3. “Kentucky Rain” — Elvis Presley (The King at his most melodramatic)
4. “Purple Rain” — Prince (The Prince at his most melodramatic)
5. “Blame It on the Rain” — Milli Vanilli (The group was fake; the guilty pleasure was real)
6. “Fire and Rain” — James Taylor (One for the hometown crowd)
7. “Singin’ in the Rain” — Gene Kelly (“What a glorious feelin’, I’m happy again ...”)
8. “Here Comes the Rain Again” — Eurythmics (An ’80s classic)
9. “Only Happy When It Rains” — Garbage (A ’90s classic)
10. “Come Rain or Come Shine” — Frank Sinatra (Or Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney or any other standards singer)
11. "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" — Bob Dylan (Also from Dylan, of course, “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35”)
12. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” — Willie Nelson (One for the country fans)
13. “It’s Raining Men” — The Weather Girls (Actually, it would help the drought more if it rained, uh, rain!)
14. “A Rainy Night in Georgia” — Brook Benton (This classic has to make the cut)
15. “Songs About Rain” — Gary Allan (More country, but with that title, how could we leave it off the list?)

Rainy Reads
Books and poems are full of rainy day inspiration. Some examples:

Books

“Fountains in the Rain”
by Yukio Mishima

“Henderson the Rain King”
by Saul Bellow

“Some Rain Must Fall”
by Michel Faber

“Red Earth and Pouring Rain”
by Vikram Chandra

“Right as Rain”
by George P. Pelecanos

“Prayers for Rain”
by Dennis Lehane

“Bittersweet Rain”
by Sandra Brown

“Forty Signs of Rain”
by Kim Stanley Robinson

Poems

“Rain”
by Shel Silverstein

“Rain in Summer”
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“April Rain Song”
by Langston Hughes

“Horses and Men in Rain”
by Carl Sandburg

“Oh Gray and Tender is the Rain”
by Lizette Woodworth Reese

From this week's report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:

Recent Weather Activity and Watershed Status:
"The ongoing recent shift in weather patterns continues to help stabilize rainfall deficits in some areas of North Carolina and Virginia. Even with the recent rains, inflows to Corps of Engineer reservoirs continue to lag much below normal. As a result of conservative operations, four of the five reservoirs operated by the Wilmington District continue to be at or above target levels."

Drought Monitor

Reservoir Inflows:

Falls Dam
Average inflow for May 1 to 7: 198 cubic feet per second (53 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 375 cfs

Jordan Dam
Average inflow for May 1 to 7: 487 cfs (48 percent of normal)
Normal inflow for May: 1,005 cfs

Rainfall Amounts, Lake Levels, Water Quality and Supply storages:

Falls Lake
Rainfall for May: 1.16 inches
Normal Rainfall for May: 3.88 inches
Lake Level: 251.6 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 251.5 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining (refers to water to send down stream for water quality issues): 100 percent

Jordan Lake
Rainfall for May: 1.03 inches
Normal Rainfall for May: 3.80 inches
Lake Level: 217.2 feet above mean sea level (Normal is 216 feet)
Water Supply storage remaining: 100 percent
Water Quality storage remaining: 100 percent

Some of you took About the Drought to task (rightfully) for making a fuss in an earlier post over the higher pumpages on Wednesday. You said that without knowing the pumpages of several days, it would be impossible to say that Wednesday's "spike" was a result of lifting the restrictions.

You're right. So here's some background.

As of Monday, the rolling 30-day pumpage average was 46.73 MGD, according to Raleigh's figures. The high mark for that period (4/2 to 5/1) was 50.7 MGD on April 17; the lowest was 43.1 MGD on Monday, May 1.

For those who are really into this water stuff (Drought Diva Sarah and I are glad to know we aren't the only ones), here are the pumpages for April 2 to May 3.

Daily Pumpages

April 2 - 45.3 million gallons per day
April 3 - 45.9 MGD
April 4 - 46.2 MGD
April 5 - 46.0 MGD
April 6 - 47.1 MGD
April 7 - 45.4 MGD
April 8 - 44.0 MGD
April 9 - 45.0 MGD
April 10 - 45.8 MGD
April 11 - 46.1 MGD
April 12 - 49.9 MGD
April 13 - 48.1 MGD
April 14 - 45.7 MGD
April 15 - 49.8 MGD
April 16 - 47.7 MGD
April 17 - 50.7 MGD
April 18 - 48.8 MGD
April 19 - 47.7 MGD
April 20 - 50.0 MGD
April 21 - 47.2 MGD
April 22 - 48.2 MGD
April 23 - 47.3 MGD
April 24 - 45.5 MGD
April 25 - 47.8 MGD
April 26 - 47.3 MGD
April 27 - 43.7 MGD
April 28 - 43.8 MGD
April 29 - 45.8 MGD
April 30 - 46.9 MGD
May 1 - 43.1 MGD
May 2 - 49.4 MGD
May 3 - 55.4 MGD

The N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council has downgraded the area's drought status to moderate.

Moderate drought conditions cover an area from the far western mountain counties almost to the coast.

Last week’s rains recharged area reservoirs, including Falls Lake, Raleigh’s chief water source. More than 4 inches of rain fell in April at the gauges at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, with about two inches of that occurring last week. The area is still in rain deficit of about 5 inches for the year.

For more information on the drought, visit the state's drought website.

While Raleigh has lifted its mandatory conservation measures, the city does offers its tips during this voluntary conservation stage.

OUTDOOR WATER USES:

1. Irrigate only when plants need water. If the grass springs back after being stepped on, there is no need to irrigate. Do not apply more than one inch of water per week. Water should be applied slowly to achieve deep penetration and prevent water run-off. Do not water impervious surfaces such as streets, parking lots, driveways and sidewalks.

a) Automatic Spray Irrigation Systems:

Watering by automatic spray irrigation systems may only be applied between midnight and 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. to midnight. Properties with odd-numbered addresses may water lawns and landscapes only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Properties with even-numbered addresses may water only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

b) Hose-end Sprinklers, Non-Automatic Spray Irrigation, and Hand Held Hose End Watering Devices:

Watering by hose-end sprinklers and non-automatic spray irrigation may only be applied between midnight and 5:00 a.m. and between 10:00 p.m. and midnight. Properties with odd-numbered addresses may water lawns and landscapes only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Properties with even-numbered addresses may water only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Hand held hose end watering devices may be applied any day of the week at any time of the day.

c) Low Volume Drip Irrigation

Watering by low volume drip irrigation may be used at any time of the week at any time of the day.

2. When establishing home landscaping, incorporate compost into existing soil to create a favorable plant growing environment. Mulch landscape beds to retain moisture. Water trees, gardens and shrubbery the minimum required amount and use water from other sources if possible.

3. Limit vehicle washing to the minimum necessary. When vehicle washing is necessary, consider using a commercial car wash that uses water saving devices or technology.

4. Use a broom, or other non-water using devices to clean all horizontal surfaces like sidewalks, decks, patios, driveways or street and parking areas. Water should only be used if no other practical alternative exists.

5. Limit filling of swimming pools. Do not replenish any filled pool beyond an amount needed to ensure proper operation.

6. Limit the filling of any decorative pools or fountains.

7. Always use spring loaded shut-off valve, pistol grip type hose nozzles. Do not allow open ended hoses or power washing equipment to run freely in a wasteful manner.

INDOOR WATER USES:

1. Check for leaks in toilets, faucets, shower heads and any other plumbing fixtures and repair these leaks immediately.

2. Store drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid trying to run it cool at the tap.

3. Take short showers (e.g. 5 minutes or less) or shallow baths.

4. Do not leave water running while shaving, rinsing dishes or brushing teeth. Use filled sinks for shaving and rinsing dishes.

5. Install water conserving showerheads, faucet aerators and toilets.

6. Install water saving devices, such as sealed plastic bottles filled with water to displace water volume in non-water saving toilet tanks.

7. Wash full loads in clothes washers and dishwashers or vary the water level setting to match the load amount if less than full.

8. Do not use the toilet for a trash basket. Reduce toilet flushing to minimum or when necessary to provide sanitary conditions.

9. Commercial and industrial customers should review their water uses, perform water audits and install reclaimed / recycle water systems where feasible.

10. Limit hours of operation of water-cooled air-conditioners.

11. Restaurants should consider serving water to customers only upon their request.

12. Defrost food in refrigerator, not by running water over frozen food or immersing in water filled sink.

13. When warming your shower water, use a container to collect excess water for watering plants and for other non-potable water uses.

14. Consumers are encouraged to review their water uses, perform water audits and actively try to reduce any wasteful use of water.