So work has been underway since those worrisome days of last summer to bring more supply more easily into play.
Don Greeley, Durham's water management director, told the City Council last week that key projects to help bolster our supply are well underway.
By next summer, he said, connections with Cary's water system will be in place, and we'll be able to draw up to 10 million gallons a day from Jordan Lake.
We've had a relatively worry-free summer this year, but even with relatively frequent rains -- nothing like 2007's many parched days -- this area is still classified by the state right now as "abnormally dry."
That's a good reminder that persistent calls for conservation measures and responsible use of water should be heeded.
As if to remind us that prudent water use is not an emergency need but a constant in our lives, The Herald-Sun's Ray Gronberg reported last week on a study by climatologists at Columbia University that last season's drought was by historical standards relatively mild.
The Columbia study's lead author, Richard Seager, warned that last year's drought was "pathetically normal and short, far less than what the climate system is capable of generating."
Water supply issues could be one of the more serious threats to the vigorous growth and buoyant economy we have enjoyed in this area. It would be a serious setback if we had to warn folks -- as some already fear we should -- to stay away, we can't meet the need for water if that growth continues.
We don't need to reach that point.
Proactive measures such as the interconnection through Cary to smooth the flow of ample water from Jordan Lake, continued efforts to insist on installing new systems that use water cautiously and diligence in realizing water is a finite resource not to be wasted should keep us from facing water supplies dwindling to weeks or days.
