Loudoun County officials have lifted mandatory water restrictions that prohibited most forms of outdoor watering.

Recent rains have helped restore the Beaverdam Reservoir at Goose Creek to half-capacity, and customer demand has dropped to 16 million gallons per day, far below levels of 30 million gallons per day in the fall.

The Loudoun County Sanitation Authority is urging residents to continue to conserve and water grass only twice a week. The authority says more restrictions will be necessary if customer demand rises above a spring average of 22 million gallons per day.