On Thursday, the Maryland Department of the Environment issued a drought warning for a majority of the state including Mount Airy due to the dry conditions and the lack of rainfall.
While Mount Airy did receive some rain over the past few days, the Town’s Water and Sewer Commission has recommended to Mayor Larry Hushour to impose voluntary water restrictions due to the ongoing drought. The commission reached the decision after reviewing the criteria for voluntary water restrictions contained in the Procedure Manual memorandum titled Water Use Limitations.
Voluntary restrictions consist of business and residential users voluntarily restricting the outdoor use of water between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., including watering lawns, washing cars, pressure washing or for recreational purposes (e.g., sprinklers or water slides).
Today, Mayor Hushour has implemented the commission’s recommendation and the voluntary restrictions will be in effect until water levels return to a sufficient level.
The State of Maryland has offered several suggestions on conserving water including repairing leaky faucets, toilets and pipes; landscape with drought tolerant plants, and use a broom to clean off sidewalks, decks, and other hard surfaces instead of water from a hose.