St. Paul residents have been asked to volunteer to conserve water as drought conditions continue – Twin Cities

To combat the drought, St. Paul residents are being asked to reduce their water use by following a new watering schedule beginning Thursday.

St. Paul Regional Water Services is asking its customers to adhere to schedules that include odd and even watering days and time restrictions from Thursday through the end of the year.

“We do not expect any service problems,” said SPRWS Managing Director Patrick Shea. “These conservation measures will help ensure that we use resources responsibly as the Mississippi River’s flow rates continue to decrease during drought conditions.”

On Aug. 29, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported that the entire state of Minnesota was “unusually dry” and that the Twin Cities are experiencing a severe drought, according to SPRWS. Northeast Minnesota experienced significant rainfall this week, but precipitation levels in the Twin Cities this year remained nearly 7 inches below normal.

If drought conditions worsen and water reduction targets are not met, necessary water restrictions could become necessary, with consequences, the agency said.

It offers the following voluntary watering schedule:

Customers with odd addresses should limit outdoor watering to odd days of the month.

Customers with even addresses should limit outdoor watering to even days of the month.

All customers are asked to limit outdoor watering to cooler times – before noon or after 6pm to minimize evaporation of the water used.

Exceptions to the guidelines include:

Commercial use of outdoor irrigation including nurseries or community gardens.

Watering new lawn or seed when daily watering is required.

The agency shared other water-saving tips, including:

Water grass only when necessary. Most lawns require only an inch of water per week.

Adjust the lawn mower to a height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Higher grass shades the roots and retains moisture better.

Leave grass clippings on your lawn to cool the soil and retain moisture.

Take shorter showers and use low-flow showerheads instead of bathtubs.

Turn off the tap while you shave or brush your teeth.

Fill the sink to wash dishes by hand instead of running the water.

Only run dishwashers and washing machines with full loads.

You can find more tips on water protection in the SPRWS website.