As drought conditions prompt water restrictions in Raleigh, some nearby towns say they are not facing the same limitations.

That all has to do with where their water comes from.

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Some surrounding towns - Garner, Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wendell and Zebulon all rely on water from the city of Raleigh. 

Towns like Apex and Cary operate independent water systems, relying primarily on Jordan Lake as their main water source. Raleigh, on the other hand, depends heavily on Falls Lake.

Falls Lake recently hit the threshold percentage that officials take into account when rolling out mandatory water restrictions.

By Monday, Raleigh residents will have to limit irrigation and outside watering.

While the ongoing statewide drought has caused declining levels at Falls Lake, the numbers at Jordan Lake still haven't prompted officials to enact the same limitations as Raleigh.

Jonathan Jacobs, the Town of Apex's Water Resource Director, attributes the surplus to a previous rain event, which provided a surplus for the current weather conditions.

"Right now, we have about 256 days of water supply if it were to not rain another drop in our area," Jacobs explained.

The town would consider implementing restrictions if the levels reached 180 days of supply.

The town of Cary shares water facilities with Apex. Those facilities also provide for Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Morrisville and the Wake County portion of Research Triangle Park. 

According to Cary officials, the town promotes water conservation culture year-round, through  alternate-day watering and meter alerts that track residents' water consumption hour by hour.

The town of Holly Springs takes its water supply from the same river basin, Cape Fear.

"The Cape Fear River Basin, which actually served Jordan Lake, is actually the largest watershed in North Carolina," Jacobs said.

In emergency situations, Holly Springs would source from Cary and Apex facilities.