The Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation temporarily dipped into Stage 4 Water Restrictions, due to the 1,200 acre Ghost Rider Fire.
The DSWSC move into Stage 4 came a day after West Travis County Public Utility Agency customers were required to limit their water usage after a vehicle collided with a power pole that served the PUA Southwest Parkway pump station. While the two events were unrelated, both were indicative of a summer that has been difficult on water users, especially those in more rural areas. Four days after the DSWSC moved into Stage 4, SJWTX, a utility company providing water services in Central Texas, moved into Stage 2 restrictions.
SJWTX, which provides water to Hays and Travis County residents in the Deer Creek area, had previously been operating in Stage 1 Water Restrictions.
“Under Stage 2, outdoor watering is allowed one day per week on a customer’s assigned day,” a release from the company stated. “Watering days are assigned based on the last digit of the customer’s address.”
These restrictions are similar to those already experienced by DSWSC and WTCPUA customers, who have been operating under at least Stage 3 restrictions since mid- June.
'The watering schedule, along with other key elements in the plan, is designed to help work toward state and regional goals established by the Texas Water Development Board,' stated Chelsea Hawkins, SJWTX's Compliance Water Manager. 'It also promotes efficient use for landscape irrigation.'
Weather conditions, like the hot, dry weather of the Greater Austin area at present, impact when utility agencies move in and out of drought stages. As temperatures rise, the amount of water used for irrigation also increases.
Isabella Garrone, SJWTX’s Conservation Specialist, stated,, 'La Nina weather patterns have exacerbated drought conditions in our region. We are monitoring conditions closely, but ask that customers adhere to Stage 2 rules and conserve where they can, both indoors and out.”
