Despite Rains, Water Restrictions Still in Effect

Despite the rains that have drenched the region in recent months, water restrictions are still in place in many North Central Texas communities. Most lakes across the Metroplex are considered full, however, local cities are still encouraging or mandating water conservation efforts to avoid or postpone more restrictive measures as we approach the driest months of the year.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires “municipal, industrial/mining and other non-agricultural water right holders of 1,000 acre-feet of water per year or more, and agricultural water right holders of 10,000 acre-feet of water per year or more to submit water conservation plans. In addition, all wholesale and retail public water suppliers and irrigation districts are required to develop drought contingency plans.” In compliance with this requirement, cities across the Metroplex have implemented voluntary or mandatory water restrictions to do their part to help conserve the region’s water supply.

As part of its Drought Contingency Plan, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), a regional wholesale supplier, is encouraging its 13 member cities and numerous other customers in the region to remain in Stage 3 water use restrictions. Although many of the region’s lakes are currently full, Jim Chapman Lake (also called Cooper Lake), which supplies water to NTMWD member cities and customers, is not yet full. As of late June, a few NTMWD member cities like Plano and Frisco are still operating under Stage 3 water use restrictions, but have slightly eased their restrictions to allow residents to water their lawns twice a week rather than just once a week.

Many cities not relying on Jim Chapman Lake as a water source have implemented Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 water use restrictions, which indicate mild and moderate water shortage conditions. Cities like Carrollton, Dallas, Denton, and Glenn Heights are currently under Stage 1 restrictions, and cities like Irving and Newark are under Stage 2 restrictions. This information is current as of June 26; for the most current information on water use restrictions in your city, visit your town or city’s webpage, or check TCEQ’s list of “Texas Public Water Systems Limiting Water Use to Avoid Water Shortages.”

Water conservation by individual citizens and businesses is necessary not only to comply with local restrictions, but also to keep up with the region’s growing demand for water and to preserve this precious resource. For ways you can help conserve water, visit www.wateriq.org.

Click here for more information on water conservation and drought contingency planning. http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/permitting/water_supply/water_rights/contingency.html.

For a complete list of the requirements for developing a water conservation or drought contingency plan, see the amended Texas Administrative Code Title 30, Chapter 288.

Click here for more information on NTMWD’s Drought Contingency Plan.

For more information, contact Erin Blackman, Environment and Development Planner, at (817) 695-9227 or eblackman@nctcog.org.

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