The early stages of the drought response are expected to be used during the late winter to early summer period as drought conditions may emerge. The later stages are likely to be used during the summer through mid-fall period and possibly into early winter. Conservation goals are specified for each of Stages 2 through 5. Drought stages will not be lowered until demand is reduced to achieve these goals or until source water levels begin to rise consistently.
As the drought stage increases, the amount of demand reduction increases. The conservation goals are based on Washington Department of Health guidelines (DOH, 2005). The levels of demand reduction are based on these goals. Monitoring of demand (primarily using chlorination reports and customer meter data) will determine when and how long the goals are met.
Drought conditions starting in early spring and persisting into the fall would be severe. The 2015 drought is an example of an extreme drought. In this case, lowering the drought response stage would not occur until source water levels rise to acceptable levels. Short-term emergency curtailment plans are not included in the drought response plan.