DURHAM, N.C. -- Despite  all the recent rain, water experts say we haven't had half the amount of rainfall we had last year this same time.

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As a result, Triangle municipalities are being warned that they need to be very careful about how much they back off on restrictions and need to be prepared to reimplement them a lot quicker this year when the lakes and reservoirs begin drying up in the warm months.

Immediately after a rain, streams around here run full. But within hours, those streams revert back to low-flowing trickles.

Full Drought Coverage

Water resource manager Sydney Miller of the Triangle J Council of Governments said, that’s a sign the drought is still with us, despite full lakes and reservoirs.

“Two months of near normal rainfall don't erase 10 months of well-below-normal precipitation we've had over past year or so,” he said.

And until groundwater replenishes, those who watch the water won't declare the drought over.

But, because many business interests which depend on water use have been hurt by the toughened restrictions, municipalities are easing their water rules now that lakes and  reservoirs are full.

“It makes sense for local governments to ease up on the restrictions,” said Miller.  “But what's important is that they maintain some level of conservation so that they can respond much more quickly this summer than they were able to do last summer.”

Although Raleigh considers its current stage 1 restrictions pretty strict, city officials say they are taking that advice and are looking at ways to tweak the current conservation regulations.

“The city council says it wants to review our standing year-round restrictions,” said City Manager Russell Allen.

He said the council will look specifically at irrigation rules to see whether they are strict enough.

TALK BACK TO STEVE ON HIS BLOG.