Less than 48 hours after the Greenville Water Works and Sewer Board asked residents to voluntarily conserve water, the area received nearly 2 inches of welcomed rain.

Heavy thunderstorms dumped 1.27 inches of rain around 9 p.m. Thursday, pushing the day's rainfall total to 1.76 inches.

A chance of afternoon showers and a thunderstorm highlights the Saturday forecast with high temperatures in the mid 90s. The low Saturday night should be in the high 60s.

Much the same is predicted for Sunday through Tuesday with a chance of afternoon showers daily, highs in the low 90s and lows in the high 60s and low 70s.

The board, at a Tuesday meeting of the Greenville City Council, encouraged consumers to limit their use of outside watering and vehicle washing and asked that any plumbing problems be repaired to avoid waste.

The board also adopted a water conservation plan, required by ADEM.

Different phases of the plan can be implemented depending on the severity of the water supply shortage and the degree of water reduction required.

The phases are as follows:

Phase I: Prohibits the water of lawns during midday hours and the service of water in restaurants except on request, and asks all water users to voluntarily reduce their use by 10 percent.

Phase II: Includes Phase I restrictions and makes a 10 percent water use reduction by all water users mandatory.

Phase III: Increases mandatory reduction by 15 percent.

Phase IV: Increases mandatory reduction by 20 percent.

Phase V: Increases mandatory reduction by 25 percent.