Durham Enforces Stage 2 Water Restrictions and Building Standards

The City of Durham currently maintains Stage 2 mandatory water-use restrictions due to exceptional drought. These rules prohibit spray irrigation, car washing with city water and cleaning of sidewalks or driveways for all customers. Large businesses that use more than 100,000 gallons of water daily must cut consumption by 30 percent and document their efforts.

Daily effects on households and operations

Residents adjust routine tasks such as lawn care and vehicle maintenance because city water cannot be used for those purposes. Businesses face added record-keeping requirements that affect staffing and planning for water-intensive activities. The restrictions apply uniformly across the city and alter how community services like parks maintenance and commercial cleaning are performed.

Durham County requires all new buildings to meet high environmental standards under its high performance building policy. The county reports 12 existing LEED-certified buildings that already operate under these expectations. The Unified Development Ordinance sets tree coverage standards in the Urban and Suburban Tiers, though exemptions exist for residential additions and non-residential districts in the Urban Tier.

Longer-term city commitments

The City of Durham adopted its Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy Action Plan in 2021. The plan requires a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from city operations by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040. These targets guide decisions on energy use in public facilities and services that residents rely on daily.

Implementation of the water restrictions and building rules continues under existing ordinances and policies. The City of Durham and Durham County apply the standards through their respective permitting and enforcement processes. Updates to compliance expectations are communicated through official city channels as conditions evolve.