Weekend rain showers have prompted officials to lift a burn ban in Clark County, but Winchester Municipal Utilities General Manager Mike Flynn said water conservation efforts are still in place.
This morning, Clark County Fire Chief Ralph Ladson said the ban has been lifted after recent significant rainfall.
Record breaking heat and less than one inch of rain during June led to drought-like conditions throughout Clark County, including a ban on fireworks during Fourth of July holiday.
According to the Kentucky Mesonet weather tracking service, Clark County received 3.05 inches of rain during July.
“Things are greening up and they’re calling for more rain this week,” Ladson said. “People did lay off (burning and fireworks) and we appreciate that.”
The burn ban went into effect June 29.
According to the National Weather Service, there is a chance of rain every day for the next week.
WMU¿issued a Phase 1 Water Shortage Advisory July 2, asking customers to voluntarily limit non-essential water usage. According to Flynn, non-essential uses include watering lawns, washing vehicles and filling swimming pools.
A decision about when to lift the advisory will be made at Thursday’s WMU Board of Commissioners meeting. Although Flynn said he would likely recommend lifting the advisory, the commission will discuss the issue.
“I just want to be careful. We’ve had a week or two of good weather here, in regards to rain, but we’re still getting ready to go through the hottest part of the year. The end of July, August and the beginning of September are typically our driest months,” Flynn said.
