Newport Issues Alert Stage 1 Water Curtailment

Kiera Morgan
Jul 28
2 min read

The City of Newport has issued Notice of an Alert Stage 1 – Water Curtailment, requesting community members to conserve water while the city experiences below normal precipitation, above normal temperatures, low streamflow, and soil moisture conditions. This alert follows emergency drought declarations for Lincoln County from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners earlier this month. This is the fourth drought in the past seven years in Lincoln County.

“These are not restrictions at this time, but rather a request to our community to begin implementing conservation methods if they aren’t already,” stated Steve Stewart, Newport Assistant Public Works Director and Water Treatment Plant Supervisor. “We will continue to monitor conditions and water levels to assist our community throughout this drought.”The City of Newport has four curtailment alert stages, which have increasing levels of recommendations and restrictions. A stage 1 alert was last issued in 2023. The city has never issued beyond a stage 2 alert.

The Mid-Coast Water Conservation Consortium (MWCC) offers information and guidelines to help conserve water during drought conditions and works to promote water conservation and improve regional water supply resilience. The city draws water from Big Creek Reservoir and from the Siletz River, which are both at lower water levels for this time of year. The city is also working with the large water users on conservation methods.

The MWCC recommends the following conservation methods at MidCoastWater.org:

Outdoor Water Conservation

• Limit watering lawns and plants. If necessary, water during cool hours of the early morning or evening.

• Sweep impervious surfaces, such as patios and driveways, instead of cleaning them with a hose.

• Avoid washing vehicles, pavement, decks, fences, and buildings.

• Delay filling and draining pools, hot tubs, and fountains.

Indoor Water Conservation

• Install water-efficient faucet aerators, showerheads, and toilets.

• Reduce your shower time.

• Wait to run the dishwasher or laundry machine until you have full loads.

Leak Repair and Detection

• Monitor your water bill for signs of unusually high water use.