Outlook good for Seattle's reservoirs

April rains that continued into this week have assured an adequate refill of Seattle reservoirs, despite an earlier dearth of snowpack.

More than an inch of rain graced Seattle's reservoirs Tuesday night, and cool temperatures, rain and even a little snow at higher elevations earlier this month were good news for water managers at Seattle Public Utilities.

"The outlook is good," Tom Fox, water-resource manager for Seattle Public Utilities said at a water-supply meeting Wednesday. "The late-season bump in April was incredibly helpful."

Inflow to the reservoirs squeaked all the way down to just about zero in March, so scant was precipitation. But now both the Cedar and Tolt reservoirs are on track for refill, even if very dry conditions set in going forward.

Supply managers execute a carefully choreographed dance timed to the seasons and precipitation patterns to manage floodwater, meet demands for water supply for about 1.4 million people in the area and fulfill the requirements of a habitat conservation plan and tribal treaty rights that reserve flows for fish and wildlife.

Seattle's water consumption has actually been in a steep slide because of conservation, said David Hilmoe, drinking-water director for Seattle Public Utilities. Households in Seattle used about 150 gallons per day in 2008, down about 25 percent from consumption rates in 1994.

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com