Charlotte Water moved to Low Inflow Protocol (LIP) Stage 1 on Nov. 2, 2026, making water conservation voluntary following improving conditions across the Catawba-Wateree River Basin.

The change reflects a regional decision to ease water-use restrictions. Under Stage 1, customers are no longer required to follow mandatory conservation measures but are encouraged to continue reducing nonessential water use and avoiding waste.

Charlotte Water credited customer conservation efforts with helping the region meet its water-use reduction goals and reach the point where restrictions could be relaxed.

The utility encouraged customers to maintain conservation practices despite the move to voluntary measures, noting that continued reductions in unnecessary water use can help support regional water supplies.