Increased Water Conservation Measures Called as Spokane River Flows Drop

Brian Walker, Communications Manager, 509.655.1387

Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 1:16 p.m.

With continued hot and dry conditions in our region, flows in the Spokane River have dropped below 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), and the City of Spokane is calling on citizens to implement additional water conservation measures.

The measures are part of a City ordinance passed in 2022 that is designed to prioritize responsible water use to protect the river and the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. The ordinance details two levels of water conservation.

Level 1: Active every summer between June 1 and October 1

  • No outdoor watering between the hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
  • Limit watering to no more than 4 days within a week. (An odd/even schedule is a suggested approach.)

Level 2: Triggered when the Spokane River is below 1,000 cfs at the Monroe Street river gauge.

  • No outdoor watering between the hours of 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
  • Limit watering to no more than 2 days per week.
  • No more than a total of 2 hours of watering per day.
  • No using water to clean hardscapes such as sidewalks, driveways, decks and patios.

“Protecting our water resources requires all of us to do our part,” says Water Director Loren Searl. “We’re asking our citizens to be thoughtful and limit outdoor water use.”

More information is found on our official webpage. For water-saving tips and to learn about our water efficiency rebates, check out WaterWiseSpokane.org.

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