KIRKLAND, Wash. — The City of Kirkland is joining Seattle in urging residents to voluntarily conserve water.
The city said although Seattle's regional water supply looked good throughout the summer, drought conditions have drawn down Seattle's reservoirs faster than normal.
The mountain reservoirs received only a quarter of what they usually get from May through September. Rain forecasted for next week will help replenish some supply, but fall outlooks show the PNW could be in for more dry weather.
Residents could conserve water by reducing outdoor water usage, fixing leaks, taking shorter showers and turning off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving.
"By making small changes to daily habits, residents and businesses can make a big difference in reducing water consumption and helping to mitigate the effects of the dryer conditions," the City of Kirkland wrote in a release.
The city is also taking steps to conserve water, like limiting non-essential water uses in city operations and increasing public awareness.
For more information on water conservation, community members can visit the Cascade Water Alliance website.
Seattle Public Utilities asks residents to voluntarily conserve water
Just one day before Kirkland's announcement, Seattle Public Utilities asked their customers to take steps to voluntarily cut back on their water use.
The request impacts more than 1 million people.
While Thursday's request is voluntary, the next steps would include mandatory water reductions until water levels return to normal. Leaders hope people will do their part now to prevent the problem from escalating.
According to Seattle Public Utilities, this is something that has only happened six times before. It was most recently implemented back in 2015.
