Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler asked residents Thursday to try and conserve water in hopes of reducing consumption by about 20 percent.

Water usage topped 80 million gallons Tuesday for the first time this summer and Wednesday’s usage was 76 million gallons.

The mayor said in order to ensure that the city has adequate water for drinking, fire protection and other essential uses for the rest of the summer, residents need to reduce water usage to no more than 65 million gallons per day. "We are asking for voluntary compliance at this time. No one wants to mandate water restrictions.”

The city has not issued mandatory water restrictions since 2002.

Mayor Beutler said the 65 million gallon goal can be reached if everyone observes the voluntary designated day outdoor watering schedule. Properties with street addresses ending in even numbers, including zero, are asked to voluntarily limit outdoor water use (watering lawns and washing vehicles) to Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Properties with addresses ending in odd numbers are asked to voluntarily limit outdoor watering to Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Those with automatic lawn irrigation systems are encouraged to set them to follow the designated watering day system. In addition to following the designated day system, the mayor's Water Conservation Task Force recommends the following:

-Water during the cool part of the day
-Install a rain sensor device on automatic sprinklers
-Do not water when it is windy
-Adjust sprinklers to water only the lawn and not the sidewalk or street
-Use a broom, not a hose and water for outdoor cleaning
-Wash your vehicle with a pail of soapy water using the hose only to rinse the vehicle