Voluntary water restrictions might not be enough

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Citizens Water said customers are listening to the utility’s requests for water conservation, but it may not be enough.

Friday, the company issued a voluntary restriction, asking customers not to water their lawns. According to Citizens Water, usage did drop. Friday customers used 219 million gallons; that dropped to 200 million on both Saturday and Sunday.

Places like Morse Reservoir in Noblesville are really seeing the effects of the dry conditions. There, the water level has gone down at least 4-1/2 feet. In Geist it's down 1-1/2 feet, and those levels will keep dropping without significant rainfall.

Conservation Officer Bill Doss explained how trees, rocks, trash and other debris become safety hazards with water levels low.

"The accidents that we're seeing are running aground, where the boats are hitting rocks or the lower water areas where they're tearing up the props and the lower-ended units of the boat," he said. "If you hit something unexpected, it can toss you from the boat."

Officers recommend boaters wear their life jackets at all times. They’re also advising against water skiing or tubing, and urging boaters to keep a 360 degree lookout at all times.

Unfortunately, Doss said, Morse Reservoir likely won’t return to normal water levels this summer.

"The conservation of the water in the area is going to help us, but if things continue, we still have July and August - are dry months usually - so this could get worse," Doss said.

Citizens Water said if weather conditions don't improve, an emergency water ban could be put in place this week, which would mean area residents would face a fine if caught watering their lawns.