Charlottesville residents might want to hold off on buying camels and cacti after all.
The water shortage that has plagued Charlottesville and surrounding areas in recent months has somewhat abated during the past month and a half.
Charlottesville's urban water supply has increased from a low of 52.1 percent Oct. 11 to 68.4 percent yesterday.
Officials cite a variety of causes for the increase.
"First and foremost, we got some rainfall," Charlottesville City spokesman Maurice Jones said. "We're getting a substantial rain runoff from the mountains."
Increased rainfall and water conservation efforts have helped increase the water supply, said J. William Brent, executive director of the Albemarle County Service Authority.
Daily water consumption in Charlottesville has dropped from about 14 million gallons of water in late July to just more than 7 million gallons Sunday.
Other factors such as the cooler weather and the dormancy of trees also are contributing to the rising water supply, Jones said.
The recent increase in water supplies reflects an annual cycle.
During each of the last three years, the area's water supply has hit its lowest level in the early fall, Jones said.
Despite the good news over the past week and a half, Jones cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
The increasing water supplies do "not mean the worst is over," Jones said, adding, "We're not out of the woods yet."
The water shortage is just consequence of a drought affecting central Virginia over the past four years.
"The fact that our reservoirs are full may not indicate the drought is broken," Brent said.
Other effects of the drought, such as agricultural problems, might persist even if reservoirs return to normal levels, he added.
If the water supply continues to rise, the water restrictions that the city government placed on local residents over the past two months could be removed.
When the reservoirs are at 70 percent of capacity "we'll revisit the issue of commercial car washes," Jones said.
All commercial car washes in Charlottesville have been shut down since Phase II water restrictions went into effect Sept. 17.
"At 70 percent there is no guarantee" that commercial car washes will reopen, said Judith Mueller, Charlottesville's director of public works.
City officials will re-evaluate all water restrictions once water supplies stay at or above 85 percent capacity for seven consecutive days, Jones said.
These restrictions include a 50 percent surcharge on water use that went into effect yesterday.
Jones said he hopes local residents will continue to conserve water even if the restrictions are lifted.
Despite the recent upturn in water supplies, officials remain wary.
Even if the situation continues to improve, the problem could return next summer, Mueller said.
"Anything can happen," she said. "We were at almost 100 percent in June of this year."
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