News

Water woes spread with drought

Climate Change, Environmental, Neuse River Watershed, Tar-Pamlico Watershed

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

The lack of rain in North Carolina is prompting municipalities to implement water restrictions in some areas and urge customers to conserve water in others. On April 20, the City of Raleigh put Stage 1 water restrictions in place, which means the surrounding towns of Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon — all of which rely on water from the City of Raleigh — are under the same restrictions. Farther down the Neuse watershed, the City of Goldsboro has asked residents to conserve water.

On the Tar-Pamlico, all of Nash County is in extreme drought, leading the City of Rocky Mount to put voluntary water conservation measures into effect. The City of Greenville is monitoring water levels farther down the Tar River.

Since the beginning of the year, areas in eastern North Carolina have seen rain deficits of 5 to 8 inches.

Relevant links:

Goldsboro, Rocky Mount encourage residents to cut water use amid ongoing drought. Read more at WITN.

Q&A: Water restrictions for Raleigh and beyond. WRAL has what you need to know.

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