NASHVILLE -- The recent rains may have inconvenienced many people, but residents who rely on Normandy Lake for their drinking water received good news Sunday.

The water level is up so high that some nearby towns are considering lifting some of the water restrictions.

Channel Four's Cara Kumari reported that the Normandy Reservoir was very low in September. State officials said they feared that towns like Manchester and Tullahoma would soon be out of water.

The recent rainfall, however, has greatly improved the situation, officials said, but the area may not be in the clear yet.

"It's back to normal again. It's like nothing ever happened with all the rain we've been getting," Bedford County firefighter Bobby England said.

People from Columbia to Manchester have spent the past few months conserving as much water as they could -- including firefighters.

"We were limited to the use of water, and we couldn't do certain training because of the water restrictions," England said.

But those water restrictions aren't necessary anymore, as the reservoir is at 869 feet, which is a big change from just a few months ago when it hovered around 850 feet.

The area got little to no rain from August through January, but in February, Manchester received 2 inches, and in March another 3.5 inches fell.

"About a month ago, we could see a good bit of improvement after we started getting the rain. Today it's wonderful," England said.

In the first two weeks of April, the Normandy area has already seen almost three inches, and a minimal amount of water is being released form the dam, officials said..

Residents in this area said they are hoping the rain keeps coming because a normal level at the reservoir means a normal life back at home.

"I think it will ease up for a lot of people. We'll at least be able to keep the swimming pool full," resident Toby Haynes said.

Water official said that for at least the next two months things will be fine, but if the rains do not continue, the situation could once again look dire.

The water restrictions affect eight different utility companies.

It's up to each individual utility to decide whether or not to lift the voluntary restrictions for their customers.