The drought gripping Washington State has forced resource management utilities to move from Phase 1, reported on July 31, has moved into the second phase of water use reduction: the Voluntary Reduction stage.

Seattle, Everett and Tacoma water districts are are asking customers, both citizens and businesses alike, to reduce their water consumption by 10-percent.

Some ways to reduce water use include:

• Only water lawns twice a week, allowing the lawn to go dormant

• Water plants after 7 p.m. to avoid excessive evaporation

• Keep showers short

• Repair any leaking toilets, faucets or showers

• Only wash full loads of clothing or dishes

These measures are being implemented to ensure that the current water supply can stretch as long as possible, as there is not current end in sight.

If the drought gets worse, the utility companies may move to phase 3, the mandatory reduction phase, at which point it will require customers to decrease the amount of water they use even further.

Most Seattle and Eastside is served by Seattle Public Utilities and North Northshore area, such as North Bothell, is served by Everett’s PUD.