Staff report Cary has about 200 days of water supply; no immediate move to Stage 1

Town utilities staff gave a drought-status briefing that framed current conditions as stable but dynamically monitored.

Sarah explained Cary is in a year-round alternate-day watering stage and that the town is calculating supply metrics frequently. "Right now we're at 200 days, which is pretty normal for this time," she said, and staff noted Stage 1 is triggered at about 120 days of supply. Staff emphasized the indicators are updated weekly and that the decision to change stages depends on inflows to Jordan Lake and usage.

Sarah described intake operations at Jordan Lake, including moving to a lower intake screen when needed and applying poly-activated carbon at the raw-water pump station to address PFAS concerns; she said Cary's Karypaks treatment facility capacity is 56,000,000 gallons per day and that the town is currently sending approximately 5.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to Durham through interconnections as mutual aid.

Staff also reviewed conservation history (tiered rates, reclaimed water, AMI leak alerts) and outreach efforts including advisory boards, public open houses and a July 7 press release reminding residents of alternate-day watering. They said staff will continue monitoring and provide further detail if conditions change.

Next steps: staff will continue weekly monitoring of days of supply and keep council informed if triggers approach Stage 1.