The council’s action allows City Manager Russell Allen to repeal the Stage 2 rules when the trigger point is reached. No further action by the council is necessary.

The move was meant to give some guidance to businesses that have been hurt by the restrictions, which have been in place since Feb. 15.

The Stage 2 rules ban the use of city water for pressure-washing and all forms of irrigation and sharply restrict builders from testing new city water connections ?EUR??,,????'??+ tests that must occur before homes and businesses can legally be occupied.

Raleigh will return to its so-called Stage 1.5 rules once Falls Lake is 90 percent full. Those restrictions allow pressure washing and the testing of new city water connections but prohibit watering with hand-held devices, sprinklers, automatic spray systems and volume drip irrigation systems.

Carwashes can also remain open under Stage 1.5 rules even if they have not received certification from the city.

The City Council also agreed to revert to Stage 1 rules once Falls Lake is full. Those restrictions allow outdoor watering one day a week.

Councilman Rodger Koopman said the city should consider going to a color-coded rule system so that there is less confusion about what customers can and can’t do under each stage.

Mayor Charles Meeker said the adoption of trigger points stating when water restrictions will be repealed should not be viewed as a sign that the city is out of danger.

“I’m not telling anyone that the drought is over,” Meeker said.

Meeker and other council members also commended Raleigh water customers on their conservation efforts in recent months.

The city is consuming about 38 million gallons of water a day. That’s about a 20 percent decrease from this time last year.