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Customers of the West Travis County Public Utility Agency and the Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation received notices this afternoon about low water levels, implementing significant restrictions and even a boil water notice for WTCPUA customers.
The WTCPUA and the DSWSC issued watering restrictions earlier this month, with the former moving into Stage Two restrictions on Friday, July 14 and the latter moving into Stage Four restrictions on Tuesday, July 18. However, due to what DSWSC General Manager Rick Broun has referred to as “an enormous amount of irrigation use last night,” July 19, WTCPUA water tanks were significantly depleted. This led to a boil water notice for WTCPUA customers on the US Highway 290 system and Hamilton Pool Road area (Belvedere, Provence, Madrone Ranch and Deer Creek neighborhoods) earlier today, July 20.
“To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice-making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes,” the city of Dripping Springs reported on its Facebook page. “The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.”
Broun said, to prevent the potential of bacteria from low water levels from entering the DSWSC system, the utility company closed its valves to the depleted tank this morning. This also prevented a similar boil water notice from being issued to DSWSC customers. It did, however, cause the DSWSC to move into temporary Stage Five watering restrictions.
DSWSC has two sources of water, groundwater (wells) and surface water (from the WTCPUA), according to Broun.
“Since we’re not using the water tank, we had to move to just our groundwater supply,” he explained. “With such a limited supply, we really need people to stop irrigating and filling bulk tanks. Every effort needs to be made to limit non-essential water use.”
According to a statement on the DSWSC’s website, Stage Five DSWSC restrictions include, “all requirements of Stages 1 through 4… with the following modifications and additions:
- Irrigation of landscaped areas is prohibited.
- Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane, or other vehicle is prohibited. This activity is only exempt from these regulations if the health, safety, and welfare of the public are served by washing the vehicle, such as a truck used to collect garbage or used to trasport food and perishables.
- Use of water from fire hydrants shall be limited to firefighting and activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare only.
- No applications for new, additional, expanded, or larger service connections, meters, service lines, pipeline extensions, mains, or water service facilities of any kind shall be allowed or approved.”
Broun said customers can anticipate low water supply levels to be replenished within the next 24 hours, barring any unexpected complications.
That expectation, however, is also reliant on residents complying with restrictions. Penalties for not doing so can include charging the customer six times the base water rate and shutting off the water for that customer for up to three days.
“We really do appreciate all of the people remaining vigilant and following the rules and restrictions we’ve set in place,” Broun emphasized. “The DSWSC staff and board of directors wish to thank those people, and we appreciate the many that continue to do so.”
When the situation has been resolved, he said, the DSWSC will move back into Stage Four restrictions.
For the latest updates and information on the DSWSC water restrictions, visit drippingspringswater.com/alerts. For the latest on the WTCPUA, visit wtcpua.org/alerts
