Council Eases Watering Restrictions Just a Little

 

The City Council unanimously agreed today to continue Drought Level 2 watering restrictions through July 1 without the wintertime watering restrictions that Council applied year-round earlier this year.

The Council apparently decided upon pursuing a cautious and conservative approach even after learning that the Memorial Day weekend thunderstorms raised San Angelo’s surface water supply to more than 30 months.

The 30-day span will allow the Water Utilities Department to craft a comprehensive package of drought restrictions and water rates that will cement a conservation ethic within water customers while ensuring the Water Utilities generates adequate revenue to fund its operations and the maintenance and improvement of San Angelo’s water infrastructure. San Angelo also must repay a $120 million loan that funded the construction of the Hickory Aquifer project.

The City Council will consider new rates and restrictions at its July 1 meeting.

Water Utilities Director Ricky Dickson told the Council that San Angelo’s surface water supply is 30.57 months. When the Hickory Aquifer supply is factored into the calculations, the available water supply increases to approximately 36 months. Up to 6 million gallons per day of Hickory water will be available when a groundwater treatment facility comes online in November.

Under the City’s Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan, standard conservation measures are to be followed when the City has more than 24 months of available supply. Citing citizen support and a desire to conserve, the Council instead agreed to maintain Drought Level 2 restrictions, which are prescribed by ordinance when the city has less than 18 months of water supply. Those measures include:

  • Watering no more than once every seven days with total applications not exceeding 1 inch per week. There are no exceptions for new landscapes.
  • Watering is prohibited from noon to 6 p.m., when evaporation rates are highest.
  • Golf courses greens may be watered daily except during prohibited watering hours.
  • Drip irrigation and hand watering are allowed on any day, so long as the total amount of water used does not exceed 1 inch per week. Drip irrigation may occur at any time of day. Hand watering is prohibited from noon to 6 p.m.
  • Water may not run more than 150 feet down any gutter, street, alley or ditch.
  • Excessive use fees are applied for residential usage in excess of 10,000 gallons per billing period.

Previously, the Council had tightened the Drought Level 2 watering restrictions, instituting wintertime restrictions that allow watering once every 14 days. The Council agreed to allow watering once every seven days, which the ordinance prescribes from April 1 through Oct. 31.

Prior to the Memorial Day storms, San Angelo had less than 12.5 months of available surface water supply. Had the supply dropped to less than 12 months, all outside watering would have been prohibited.

The rains, which officially totaled 7.42 inches at the National Weather Service offices at San Angelo Regional Airport, provided approximately 18 months of supply in O.H. Ivie and Twin Buttes reservoirs and in Lake Nasworthy. San Angelo’s primary water source, Ivie is at 21 percent of its capacity. Twin Buttes is at 12 percent capacity and Nasworthy is at 94 percent of its capacity.

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I would suggest they only allow watering once per week until the end October then go back to every two weeks no matter how much rain we get. If we use what we have we will be in the same situation in another year. Then they need to hold the water they have in Twin Buttes and let it fill up. It's the only fishing lake we have. Nasworthy is shallow and too many jet skies. On top of that don't let any more water out of Nasworthy until it starts going over the damn with another rain. A week ago we were at 100% at Nasworthy according to news reports and a week later we are at 94% Will not take long for it to drop. They really need to go in and dig the lake out and make it deeper buy about 20 feet. It would make it safer for everyone.
As I just passed a massive geyser of water from a burst pipe next to the Southland fire station, down by Bonham Elementary School, I suspect if will be sooner rather than later that this easing of restrictions goes bye-bye. A water main has been shut-off and homes in the Twin Oaks area temporarily have no tap water.
JL, we can't simply quit releasing water from Lake Nasworthy. There are many water rights' holders downstream that have the legal right to access the water from the Concho River that Nasworthy feeds. Besides, that feeds our main water supply, OH Ivie. Stop releasing water and we won't have any water to send to the city.

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