Mayor Bernard Kincaid is taking the recent announcement by the Birmingham Water Works raising our drought level quite seriously.

This morning the mayor declared a water emergency, effectively banning all outdoor watering. The order, according to The Birmingham News, allows police to cite those that choose to not heed the declaration, leading to fines and possibly jail time.

The last time this took place was in 2000, the last time the Water Works board declared a Stage 3 drought.

Birmingham is not the only city considering the action. The City of Mountain Brook included considering a similar declaration on their city council agenda last night.

While we’re taking a look at the what the drought is causing our elected officials to consider, let’s also take a look at how much it may cost us when we go to pay our bill.