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La Vergne urges 10% reduction in peak water use as drought grips Rutherford County
La Vergne is asking residents to voluntarily trim peak water demand by 10% amid severe drought conditions and months without substantial rain. A Murfreesboro nursery owner says residents can conserve by checking soil before watering and collecting rainwater when it returns.
La Vergne officials are asking residents to voluntarily reduce peak water use by 10% as severe drought conditions persist in Rutherford County.
The area has gone months without substantial rainfall, according to Morgan Edmonds of Martin’s Home and Garden in Murfreesboro, who described this fall’s drought as unusually large. The nursery has had to water nearly everything by hand, and customers have reported plants dying after surviving earlier in the growing season.
Edmonds said residents can conserve without abandoning their gardens by checking the soil rather than watering on a fixed routine. If the soil is dry, water; if it is still wet, hold off, she advised. She also recommended collecting rainwater beneath gutters for later use when rainfall arrives.
The city’s request is voluntary and targets peak demand. The announcement did not specify a timeline for the reduction or detail how residents’ use will be measured.