Water towers in the city of Frederick aren't empty, but the fountain in front of City Hall is shut off because of an emergency water restriction imposed by the mayor.

A nearby river, the city's backup source, is lower than acceptable and that means no watering lawns and no car washes at home.

If you want your car clean, you have to leave it to the professionals, because commercial car washes already fall under strict state water usage guidelines.

Eventually, the city of Frederick will get its water from the Potomac River. The larger body of water will be hooked up to the city by a 15-mile pipeline by the end of the year. It should provide full water service within a few years. Until then, droughts can easily impact the fast growing city.