Stew Galus

ALTAMONT, Tenn. — Big Creek Utility District officials have called for voluntary water conservation as summer’s driest month starts to wane.

“The lake is 43 and a quarter inches from the spillway,” said Stew Galus, the chief operator at the utility in northern Grundy County.

At the same time in 2007, the level was 33 inches from the spillway atop the Ranger Creek Reservoir’s dam, Mr. Galus said. Even with six inches more rain in Grundy County this year, recent precipitation only lessened the deficit, he said.

Utility officials want customers to curb water use on their own, he said.

“Don’t wash cars and don’t water your yard,” Mr. Galus said. “It’s just voluntary, but it’s serious.”

If the situation doesn’t improve, conservation measures could become mandatory, he said.

Officials in nearby Monteagle haven’t issued conservation requests, while neighboring Tracy City has had a conservation call in place since last year, regional officials said.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday shows the “extreme” drought area expanding westward to take in most of East Tennessee and parts of the southern Cumberland Plateau. The bull’s-eye of “exceptional” drought conditions remains centered over the junction of the Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina borders.

Tracy City Utilities General Manager Tommy McFarland left last year’s conservation call in place “to encourage customers to keep conserving,” he said.

The utility’s Big Fiery Gizzard Lake Reservoir is below normal but not as low as last year, he said.

“Last year, we were six or seven feet down,” he said. “This year, we’re down about three.”

In Monteagle, where last summer’s drought dried out the Lake Louisa Reservoir to the point that workers were mowing it, Public Works Director Jim Boynton said the lake was a foot below normal Friday.

“It’s not that bad,” Mr. Boynton said. “But we could use some water up here.”

All three men said they wouldn’t mind if Tropical Storm Fay came calling.

“I really wish this tropical storm would nudge toward us,” Mr. Boynton said.