Special to the Reporter

Mercer Island has entered the voluntary stage for water conservation efforts, the city announced on June 12.

With the city still facing a water shortage due to the out-of-service Seattle Public Utilities water supply line, Islanders need to conserve more water daily to prevent mandatory restrictions later in the summer, reads the notice.

In addition to following general water conservation practices, the city is asking community members to take additional voluntary actions (listed below).

“The warm weather increases water consumption across the Island, and we all need to work together to keep our community safe. If everyone makes one or two small changes, our collective efforts will help ensure enough water supply to respond to emergencies,” the city said.

Voluntary actions include:

* Water plants/yards no more than three times per week:

Odd-numbered addresses water on Sunday/Wednesday/Friday

Even-numbered addresses water on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday

* Water early (before 10 a.m.) or late (after 8 p.m.) in the day to reduce evaporation

* Let lawns go dormant (brown)

* Postpone new planting until the fall when rain provides more natural irrigation

* Minimize vehicle washing

* Minimize refilling swimming pools and hot tubs

* Reduce shower time by two minutes

* Turn off water features, such as fountains

Residents can monitor the city’s daily water usage using its online dashboard, which shows current reservoir levels, water use and more. Visit: https://gis.mercergov.org/portal/apps/dashboards/0c7fa4d5a1604d07b14d7bab9f205c43

For updates and more tips for reducing water usage, residents can visit the city’s water conservation Let’s Talk page: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/water-conservation-guidance