NC town asks to limit showers to 5 minutes, curb lawn watering for 2 months
Mount Pleasant officials are urging residents to conserve water over the next two months as the Cabarrus County town temporarily shuts down its treatment plant for critical maintenance.
The town is undergoing major upgrades to its water treatment plant and will rely on a temporary connection with the city of Concord, according to a Facebook post from the town. While the supply is expected to meet demand, officials are asking residents to voluntarily conserve water to help manage costs and capacity.
“The Town requests that water customers exercise voluntary conservation efforts and limit water usage to what is absolutely necessary during this time,” the post reads.
The plant shut down operations on Monday so the town could move forward on a plan to replace the internal components and filter media of the plant as well as storage tank maintenance, the post states. The town will also install a new system designed to improve the odor and taste of the water.
Though Concord is able to provide enough water to Mount Pleasant residents to continue normal water usage, the town is asking residents to conserve water in order to reduce costs. Mount Pleasant requests residents avoid filling pools, watering lawns or washing cars excessively, washing off driveways, letting sink water run and taking showers longer than five minutes.
Craig Carver, owner of Carolina Car Wash in Mount Pleasant, told The Charlotte Observer he isn’t sure what the request means for his business. He saw the post on Facebook and plans to reach out to the town for clarification.
“I’m just going to hope it’s business as usual. I’ve been there for over 20 years. We’re pretty established, and we’re the only one in the area,” Carver said. “If people do want to wash their car, they’re going to come to us.”
Assistant Town Manager Erin Burris told the Observer Mount Pleasant is not enforcing restrictions but hopes residents will be “mindful” of their usage during the shutdown. She said the town typically uses between 250,000 and 300,000 gallons per day, and there is no set goal for how much water officials would like to conserve.
“Any voluntary conservation is appreciated, but we’re not going to ask people to do something that would harm the way they do business,” Burris said. “We want people to be able to go about their daily lives and not do too much differently. Just maybe turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth, or make your shower a little shorter.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 10:47 AM.
