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Mandatory Water Restrictions Start August 31
The City of Georgetown is implementing mandatory restrictions on outdoor water use that go into effect on Monday, August 31. Enforcement starts on that day in the early morning at 12 a.m. in response to a directive from the Brazos River Authority.
Matt Phillips with the Brazos River Authority says the inflow into Lake Georgetown is at an historic low.
At a news conference at Lake Georgetown on Tuesday, the Brazos River Authority reported that water use from Lake Georgetown in the months of July and August is more than 20 percent higher than last year. The river authority manages the water supply in the Lake for the cities of Georgetown and Round Rock, as well as the Brushy Creek and Chisholm Trail utility districts. Lake Georgetown is 23 feet below the full level and is dropping at a rate of about one foot per week.
Matt Phillips with the Brazos River Authority announced at the news conference that they are moving to Stage 2 of their drought contingency plan. “The overall goal of moving to Stage 2 is to strongly recommend to our customers that depend on Lake Georgetown to scale back on their water usage by returning to the amounts used in 2008 or below, if possible,” said Phillips.
Jim Briggs, assistant city manager for utilities for the City of Georgetown, says the City has been continuously monitoring water use during the exceptional drought this summer. “We’ve seen a reduced demand by about six percent in the last 30 days, so our customers have responded to our call for conservation in a tremendous fashion,” says Briggs. “But not everyone is complying with our voluntary guidelines. We’ve got to get further reductions to meet the request from the Brazos River Authority.”
In order to reduce water use to 2008 levels, the City is implementing mandatory restrictions on outdoor water use that go into effect on Monday, August 31. The mandatory restrictions match voluntary rules that have been in effect this summer. A yellow postcard with these restrictions was sent to water customers last week. The restrictions apply to all rate classes, without exception.
Mandatory Water Use Restrictions
1. Water no more than three times each week. Follow this schedule for irrigation systems, hose-end sprinklers, or soaker hoses, based on the last digit of your address number:
Odd addresses: Tuesday and/or Thursday and/or Saturday
Even addresses: Wednesday and/or Friday and/or Sunday
Lake Georgetown is 23 feet low.
2. Do NOT water with irrigation systems, hose-end sprinklers, or soaker hoses during the day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or any time on Monday.
3. Landscape watering with a hand-held hose or bucket can be done at any time, except on Mondays.
4. Non-essential water use is prohibited, including, but not limited to:
- No washing of any vehicle except through the use of a hose with a positive shutoff nozzle on the days and times specified for landscape irrigation. Washing of vehicles at a commercial car wash or service station is allowed any time.
- No use of potable water to wash sidewalks, walkways, driveways, or other hard-surfaced areas is permitted.
- No addition of water to a fountain or pond, except where it is necessary to support aquatic life.
- No addition of water to pools or hot-tubs, except on the days and times specified for landscape irrigation.
5. Failure to promptly repair a leak, or allowing landscape irrigation to run off or accumulate in a street or parking lot, is not permitted.
6. Landscape irrigation is permitted any time if by means of a hand-held hose or drip irrigation system connected to a control device, or within seven days following new landscape installation, or at a commercial plant nursery, or during the testing of an automatic irrigation system repair or new installation.
7. No variances to these rules will be granted without prior authorization from the Assistant City Manager for Utilities.
Enforcement and Violations
The Georgetown Police Department will be enforcing these mandatory water use restrictions. Violations are a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 per day. Fines can increase for subsequent offenses.
To report an observed violation of the mandatory restrictions, call the Georgetown Utility Systems 24-hour number at (512) 930-3555 or send an email to gus@georgetowntx.org.
Additional Recommendations
The City encourages watering only once or twice each week on a day that follows the odd/even the schedule noted above.
For automatic irrigation systems, the City requests that customers set the start time to the last number in your street address:
| House number ends in: | Irrigation start time: |
| 0 | 12:00 a.m. |
| 1 | 1:00 a.m. |
| 2 | 2:00 a.m. |
| 3 | 3:00 a.m. |
| 4 | 4:00 a.m. |
| 5 | 5:00 a.m. |
| 6 | 6:00 a.m. |
| 7 | 7:00 a.m. |
| 8 | *8:00 p.m. |
| 9 | *9:00 p.m. |
*8:00 and 9:00 are evening hours
If you need assistance with setting your irrigation controller, contact the Georgetown Utility Systems 24-hour number at (512) 930-3555, or you can email them at gus@georgetowntx.org.
Future Restrictions
The City will monitor water usage levels in the coming days. If water use is not lowered to 2008 levels, then the City will implement additional restrictions. The next step would be mandatory twice-per-week restrictions in which the middle day is dropped from the above three-day schedule.
This week the City of Round Rock enacted a mandatory twice-weekly limit on outdoor watering. Cedar Park also has begun a mandatory twice-weekly limit on watering. Austin mandated a once-weekly limit on watering on Monday.
See the city website at www.georgetown.org for the latest information on water use restrictions, or check channel 10 on Suddenlink cable or call the Georgetown Utility Systems 24-hour number at (512) 930-3555.
Posted in City Hall, Fire Department, Georgetown Utility Systems, Police Services, Solid Waste & Recycling, Urban Forestry, Utility Billing
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37 Responses to “Mandatory Water Restrictions Start August 31”
No sir, we are using the terms interchangably.
Normally I would water eight minutes on the days allowed, but I would like to water 4 minutes in the morning, and 4 minutes in the evening for better water absorption. Is this permissable?
Yes. As long as its on the assigned day and its not between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., you can water at any time. The irrigation schedule is currently only a recommendation.
Is there a specific number of minutes that one can run the sprinkler system on our assigned days??
Example: system with six stations total minutes 60 (10 minutes per station)?.
Can will fill our two bird baths, on is non electrical the other holds 4 gallons and is electrical?
Mr. Yerks: there is no limitation on the duration of watering as long as it is not from 10 am to 7 pm. We also ask that customers follow the irrigation controller start times.
Ms. Nunn: there are no restrictions on filling birdbaths.
Finally, someone is starting to wake up and see that “voluntary” restrictions were not working. The restrictions should be stronger. Thank you.
I live just outside Sun City in Shady Oaks Estates. Since we are on Chisholm Trail Water we are in Stage 4 and can not use our sprinkler systems AT ALL, let alone 2-3 times a week. I am appalled that ya’ll are still allowing such excessive watering. Driving through Sun City, for example, sprinklers are going and lawns are lush and green. Drive through our area and, up until the rain, everything was dead and dying. This entire area is in a drought. For Georgetown not to be more frugal with their water resources is just plain wasteful.
I live in georgetown and could not agree with janie wray more.
Would it not be better to limit the length of time one could water, if we are going to conserve WATER?
Most irrigation systems installed before 2009 have spray heads on the sidewalk planting strips that overspray onto the street when it is windy rather than a drip system. It is almost always windy. Is there a distinction between overspray and “running into the street” for violations?
I’ve spoken with the Water Services manager and the Public Information Officer about overspray. Water on the road due to wind or the general nature of spray systems is not subject for ticketing. The ‘water in the street’ ordinance is actually a state ordinance and is meant to deal with negligence as regards to failure to maintain your system (broken or damaged heads, misalignment, etc) and consequently wasting the water resource.
I have an electrical fountain/birdbath with an underground “tub” that refills by normal sprinkler action of my lawn. Can it be used as it does not have to be manually refilled?
Regulations state “…washing of vehicles on the days and times for landscape irrigation”.
All times are at night from 8pm to 7am???
Filling of a bird bath is OK. It’s a small amount of water and we don’t want birds dying of thirst. Filling a bird bath is hand-watering, which can be done at any time. A bird bath that fills automatically from an irrigation system is OK.
Filling of a decorative fountain that does not support aquatic life is prohibited at any time. This means it is prohibited to fill a decorative fountain even during your approved time for irrigation.
The irrigation start times that correspond to your house number are all in the late evening or early morning hours. The 12:00 to 7:00 start times (0 – 7 house numbers) are the early morning times (a.m.) on your assigned day, and the 8:00 and 9:00 start times (8 and 9 house numbers) are evening (p.m.) times on your assigned day.
Keith Hutchinson
Public Communications Director
On 08/27/09, On my way home from work, I noticed that the sprinklers were on along Shell Rd., near the Georgetown Villages. Normally this is not an issue except that it was raining while the sprinklers were on. (Note:) The Georgetown Home Depot sells both wired and wireless rain sensors, that prevent situations like that from happening.
Are the watering restrictions for those residing within the city limits or anyone using City of Georgetown as a supplier?
Sorry for the delay in response – I wanted to confirm with the water department…. the restrictions apply to all customers of Georgetown Utility Systems.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please let me know.
I am assuming that these restrictions also extend to children’s outdoor toys that attach to a hose and sprinkle water. Is that correct?
From Glenn Dishong, Water Services Manager:
When it comes to things like “slip-n-slides” and other such recreational water toys, they don’t use more water than a hand-held hose, which are allowed exemptions to these restrictions.
I’m glad that the city is demonstrating actions toward our water conservation; However I noticed that the question about whether Sun City was being monitored for mandatory water use restrictions and subsequent fines was not adressed.I would hope that they are included as well as Cimmeron Hillls due to their being users of the same water sources.
Per Glenn Dishong, Water Services Manager:
Cimarron Hills water service is provided by Chisholm Trails Special Utility District. The City provides wastewater service to CH. The City will respond to any violation of water use restrictions for its water customers inside and outside the City limits.
If there’s any other questions we can answer for you, please let us know. :)
To clarify, Sun City is in the City of Georgetown City Limits and is included in areas monitored for water use violations. Water use violations from anywhere in the City can be reported to Georgetown Utility Systems at (512) 930-3555 or gus@georgetowntx.org.
A well meaning person approached me this morning while I was watering my grass by a sprinkler system and informed me that I was watering on the wrong day. I informed him I knew this and my reason was that my lawn maintenance company cut and trimmed my grass on Friday or Saturday, which are my assigned watering days. Many of us in Georgetown have lawn maintenance people come weekly. They do not like to mow/catch wet gras, and, work in mud. For this reason, I water grass on Thursday, early. Therefore, there has to be some exceptions for watering days.
It is time for the routine water replacement in my spa (approx 450 gallons). In addition, it has not had adeqate attention during my absence due to out of town travel. My point, it REALLY needs to be changed. From what I have read, I can only refill it at my assigned irrigation time– midnight. This means I would need to baby-sit the fill level until around 1:30-2:00 am. Any advise?
Mr. Magill,
I would encourage you to re-schedule your lawn maintenance company to come on another day. This is not a factor that would prevent you from getting a citation for watering on the wrong day.
–Keith Hutchinson, Public Communications Director
Mr. Anderson,
The mandatory water restrictions only limits you to fill your spa during your irrigation day and outside the time period from 10AM to 7PM. The suggested irrigation start times do not apply to this use.
-Glenn Dishong, Water Services Manager
Obviously you do not have professional lawn services at your home. These people (Felix Landscaping, twelve years) have their service schedule which dictates when they service your property. As long as I use my usual amount of water, or less, why does the day matter? Dictating the watering days really is a city nit picking its citizens. It’s all about water usage.
Mandatory restrictions are set to reduce demand. The days of use make it enforceable and also spread demand across the week to reduce the peak demand on the system. If the lawn care service is immovable, the ordinance provides for a variance provision to the required schedule. Contact GUS Administration 512-930-3558 if you would like to apply for a variance.
- Glenn Dishong, Water Services Manager
We are having issues at the Bark Park. Apparently someone, not sure who, has appointed themselves monitor of the water usage. Water buckets are filled daily for the dogs. There is also a small “wading” pool that is filled with perhaps 6 inches of water so the dogs can cool themselves off on hot days. This is a necessary water usage. We do not wish our large dogs to expire because their bodies are overheated and cannot cool down. What must we do to ensure the pool is not taken away?
I am doing consulting for the owner of several apartment complexes, some in Austin, some in Georgetown. Austin’s Stage 2 water restrictions permit pressure wahing parking spaces and other concrete surfaces when they are contaminated with oil or other substances that are considered a health and safety issue. Does Georgetown’s Stage 2 restrictions use the same approch regarding health and safery issues?
Normally, washing of paved surfaces is not allowed. However, the use of potable water to eliminate health and safety issues is what we are trying to preserve. The ordinance indirectly allows this use, but I would recommend the use of the variance provision to make this type of use clearly OK.
–Glenn Dishong, Water Services Manager
When you apply for a ‘variance’, you receive a paper from the City that you can then post in an obvious place or keep in hand so that if someone reports you to code enforcement, you can just show the paper. For more information about applying for a variance, call 512-930-3555.
-webmaster
Deb Sanders,
The wading pool at the Bark Park is OK. This is a health and safety issue for the dogs, and falls under the hand-watering allowance. This is from Glenn Dishong, water services director and Eric Nuner, assistant director of parks.
Keith
I have two small decorative fountains with self contained, recirculating water supplies. On average, I would add 5-6 gallons of water twice a week from a hand-held hose to replace the evaporated water.
I’m having trouble understanding why you choose to prohibit that, but allow other much more extensive uses of water … e.g. filling/replenishing swimming pools and hot tubs.
Will you please clarify that for me?
Thanks.
The reason that filling an outdoor fountain is prohibited is that it is not supporting aquatic life, landscaping, or health and safety of the public. It is purely for visual effect. Filling a swimming pool is considered acceptable due to the recreational value and the potential use for exercise (health). The filling of such a small fountain as given in the example was really not the size that is targeted by the ordinance, so it may make some sense to put some size parameters on this type of exclusion in the future.
Glenn W. Dishong
Water Services Director
Do I need to submit a variance request for my two small fountains?
Thanks.
If your fountains are not supporting aquatic life and fed from potable water…..yes. Please estimate the size of the fountains when submitting the information. Variance request forms can be obtained from Sarah Radke at 930-3555.
Glenn W. Dishong
Water Services Director
Is there a distinction between “watering” and “landscape irrigation” as it pertains to lawns?