May 20, 2013
Officials with the Berea Municipal Company say the demand for water is up 300,000 to 400,000 gallons more than this time last year.
And while penalties haven't gone into effect yet, they wanted to have a plan in place to prevent over usage.
Officials are asking Berea residents to cut back their usage by 5 to 10 percent.
That's about 100-200 gallons per day.
Many people are choosing to do that by cutting back on things such as watering the grass and filling swimming pools.
Right now, the city is in the first stage of water conservation, which is voluntary.
But if necessary, the next stage would be mandatory. The Municipal Company will start charging $3.14 for every 1,000 gallons a customer goes over his or her average usage.
On the third stage, it moves to $6.28 per 1,000 gallons.
And in the fourth stage, it's $12.56 per 1,000 gallons.