Mandatory restrictions are needed as a result of three years of drought that have left Kannapolis Lake, the city's major water source, below normal lake levels for the past three years. Despite the community's cooperation with water restrictions, Kannapolis Lake is currently 40 inches below normal. Supplemental water is pumped into the lake from Lake Howell Reservoir, located along Highway 73, and Second Creek, in western Rowan County about 15 miles from Kannapolis. Three million gallons of water a day is pumped from Lake Howell and 6 million gallons from Second Creek. In all, the City uses approximately 9 million gallons of water per day.
Rain is the answer to the water situation.
Until enough rain falls or a solution can be found to bring more water into the City, continued conservation is needed to prevent a Level III Water Emergency. A Level III Emergency carries stricter measures, such as mandated water cutbacks for commercial businesses. Initial conservation efforts in Kannapolis resulted in a 15 percent reduction in water use between July and October 2000 and an additional 7.6 percent reduction in November and December 2000 when compared to those months in 1999. The significant reduction isn't enough to offset the effects of a three-year drought. Water existing plants and gardens with handheld containers only, such as buckets or jugs, preferably using re-utilized household water from washing machines or sinks.