Indianapolis watering ban still in place - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Just because we're starting to see green lawns again doesn't mean we should pull out the sprinklers. Citizens Water tells Eyewitness News that the watering ban for Indianapolis is still in place, but they are looking at scaling it back.

In August, lawns are looking a lot different than they did in July. Between four to five inches of rain have fallen so far this month, significantly up from the previous months' drought. However, Citizens Water reminds customers that the watering ban is still in place because area reservoirs remain below normal levels. As of Monday, Morse Reservoir was still 5.3 feet down from full; Geist was 1.5 feet down and Eagle Creek was 3.1 feet down.

The watering ban means you can't water your lawn or wash your car. This watering ban does not include these new trees, so be sure to water them. A soaker hose is allowed to water trees.

Citizens says the are in daily contact with the mayor to let his administration know about water usage, and if the water company recommends a change, the mayor will most likely follow suit.

"Before the mandatory water ban went into place, we were asking people to water once a week. That's something we are considering. But our concern is if usage spikes again, we will be back to where we started. Timing is everything," said Sarah Holsapple, Citizens Water.

While the watering ban hasn't been lifted, lawn and garden stores are seeing positive sales with the cooler temperatures and recent rain: "As things green up, people come in," said Pat Sullivan with Sullivan Lawn & Hardware.

Business at Sullivan's has been down 20 percent since the watering ban took effect. Since the rainfall last week, Sullivan's bought their first shipment of live plants since June, and they've been flying off the shelves.

"They are back outside now. In August now, we are starting to trend down. In the first few days alone, we have almost caught up with last year," said Sullivan.

Pat Sullivan also says that when it comes to your lawn, patience is still key. Planting new grass seed right now is not a good idea because you can't water it every day in Indianapolis under the current ban.