The heat, combined with low rainfall, is raising concerns around water usage across several Oklahoma communities.
Edmond, along with Norman and Oklahoma City, already observes an even-odd lawn watering schedule year long.
But on Wednesday, Edmond moved to stage 2 of its water conservation schedule, limiting lawn watering to 2-days a week. This comes after the City of Edmond reported using upwards of 22 million gallons of water a day due to the heat.
Meanwhile, Deer Creek has been under a ban on all irrigation systems since Aug. 5. Hand watering is still allowed, but residents are encouraged to conserve water for household use.
While Oklahoma City has yet to move from its usual even/odd watering schedule, city officials are reminding residents to observe said schedule and be careful with their water usage during these conditions.
"We have a reliable water supply and a resilient system, but we can’t take it for granted," said Utilities Director Chris Browning.
