PORT TOWNSEND — The city is asking residents to stop using water for “external purposes” — such as watering lawns or washing cars — because of drought-like conditions that are depleting the city’s reservoirs.

Port Townsend Public Works Director Ken Clow said city officials were making the request at a Port Townsend City Council meeting Monday night.

Currently, the city’s Lord’s Lake reservoir, which is normally 34 feet deep and holds 500 gallons, is now only around four inches deep, Clow said.

Port Townsend’s other reservoir, City Lake, currently has just under 120 million gallons, which is around its normal level.

“We’re not in a crisis,” Clow said, “but we’re asking people to save water as they can.

“Whatever we don’t use we know will be available down the line.”

The alert might be short-lived. The National Weather Service in Seattle said Monday night that light rain will begin today, turning to heavier rains and wind on Thursday.

The storm is expected to last through the weekend.

If it comes to pass, the storm is expected to reverse a dry spell that not only has curtailed some operations at Port Townsend Paper Corp. but halted fishing on the major rivers of the West End.

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The rest of the story appears in the Tuesday Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on SUBSCRIBE at the top to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.