(AP) — The mayor of Lincoln is urging residents to conserve water, lest the city have to impose higher rates.

Mayor Chris Beutler on Tuesday asked residents to follow the odd-even daily schedule for outdoor watering. He says that will help keep daily usage under the city target maximum of 70 million gallons a day.

Otherwise, he says, the water rate increases could be imposed if the city declares voluntary or mandatory water restrictions.

Beutler says Lincoln remains about 8 inches below normal rainfall for the past 12 months. He also says flows at the city well fields on the Platte River are down to about a third of normal.