Saline issues watering restrictions amid ‘unusually dry season’

One of two water towers in Saline, Mich. MLive file photoANN ARBOR NEWS

SALINE, MI - An extremely dry May has led to a parched June in Michigan, and officials in Saline are asking residents to cut back on the use of outdoor sprinklers and other watering as a result.

As of Wednesday, June 7, irrigation restrictions are in place "in response to an unprecedented stretch of dry weather and extremely high system wide demand," officials said in an announcement.

They ask residents to restrict watering to every other day, based on the following system:

"We hope that our residents will be good stewards of our natural resources and restrict their usage by changing habits to help conserve water during this unusually dry season," said City Manager Colleen O’Toole in a statement.

The restrictions are set to remain in place until Friday, June 23.

The announcement comes as smoke from wildfires has led to hazy skies and poor air quality across the area, while unirrigated lawns brown due to the lack of rain.

Ann Arbor saw it's 10th driest May on record in 2023, and rainfall totals are at just one-half to one-inch in the past month in much of southeast Michigan, as of early June.

Read more: Why isn't Michigan in drought since it hasn't rained in forever?

Regardless of address, Saline officials recommend any irrigation or outdoor watering be scheduled in off-peak hours, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily.

"Reducing or eliminating irrigation and outdoor usage is an effective way to ensure that users elsewhere in the system do not experience service disruptions, such as low pressure or flows, and helps contribute to overall water clarity goals," they said in the announcement of the restrictions.

Other area communities have similar restrictions to limit usage in response to dry weather and peak season demand, officials said.

Questions can be directed to Saline Director of Public Works Larry Sirls at [email protected].

The current restrictions are temporary, but the city will continue to evaluate if more permanent regulations are necessary to "ensure the resiliency of water utility systems in response to changing weather trends," officials said.

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