Wet Spring Prepared Indy For A Dry August

INDIANAPOLIS — Despite rising temperatures and high humidity, the city is in good shape when it comes to the water supply thanks to a wet spring.

According to Dan Considine, spokesperson with Citizens Energy Group, residents should not expect to see any kind of water restrictions, such as limitations on watering lawns, any time soon. According to Citizens, it takes several months without rain before the water supply is a concern.

Considine said the recent dry weather prompted the company to open up nearby dams last week to raise water levels in Fall Creek and Cicero Creek. He said the company draws their water from primarily Geist and Morse Reservoirs.

“Those are the streams that feed our treatment plants so we did have to open the reservoirs, but the reservoirs were full,” Considine said.

In 2012, a summer drought eventually led to a water ban that limited when and how much residents could water their lawns.

“People were watering their lawns a great deal so Morse got drawn down very quickly,” Cosidine said. “About half the reservoir was drawn off in about a month.”

Considine said the difference is that in 2012 the dry months began in May as opposed to late July and then extended throughout the summer. He said the company had to draw water from reservoirs sooner in the season than they expected.

“We had two solid months of absolutely no rain and the reservoirs weren’t particularly high to begin with and this is kind of the opposite,” Considine said. “We had a very wet spring and even the early part of summer.”

The city’s recent dry streak came to end Wednesday. According to TheWeatherChannel.com, Indianapolis residents can expect a chance of thunderstorms throughout the day Thursday and continuing into the weekend. But the heat will stick around – temperatures are expected to to out around 90 on Thursday.

Andi TenBarge is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news site powered by Franklin College journalism students.