Water conservation is important "no matter what the situation," said Rene Fleming, conservation coordinator for the city. "You know, drought or no drought, it's still important to wisely use water."

For the past two years, St. George had mandatory restrictions including a requirement that any lawn watering must be between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., when the sun won't evaporate the water as soon as it exits the sprinklers, and rules prohibiting washing driveways, sidewalks and house fronts.

"The situation this year is that with the amount of rain we've had, Quail Lake is full again," she said. So is Gunlock Reservoir, which supplies irrigation water.

The city water treatment plant is being expanded from a capacity of 20 million gallons per day to 40 million gallons a day.

"We don't anticipate having mandatory restrictions," Fleming said. But the city is still requesting that residents continue to restrict watering to between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

• Washington County Water Conservancy District, St. George: Restrictions are not planned in cities served by the district "as of yet," said Julie Breckenridge, water conservation coordinator. However, the district is seeking voluntary reductions.

The region has a 6 percent growth rate, she said. In 1970 the county's population was 13,000 "and today it's 125,000."

It is important not to waste water, she said, "because conservation isn't about the drought. It's about preserving our quality of life. . . . We just need to be good stewards of our resources."

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