August 4, 2011

How Current Weather Conditions Could Alter Your Water Usage

After 33 straight days of temperatures at 100 degrees or more, we’re all aware of how brutal Texas summers can be.

“This is the third driest nine-month period [for North Texas] since climate data has been kept going back to 1895. This area needs 12 to 15 inches of rain to get back to ‘normal’ as far as soil moisture content and average rainfall,” said Dustan Compton, conservation program coordinator for Arlington Water Utilities.

Because of the dry spell, the lake levels that supply Arlington’s water are presently 79 percent full.

Tarrant Regional Water District,  which sells the City water, manages the reservoirs (Richland-Chambers, Cedar Creek, Bridgeport and Eagle Mountain) and lakes (Arlington and Benbrook) that pipe water into Arlington. When the combined reservoir and lake levels drop to 75 percent full – which is expected in early September – the District will mandate that Tarrant County enter Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency and Water Management Plan.

Stage 1, called “water watch,” includes mandatory water restrictions, such as using sprinklers a maximum of two days a week on assigned days. If you’re currently watering more than twice a week, you should prepare your yard for these likely limitations.

The goal of moving Tarrant County into Stage 1 status is to reduce water usage by 5 percent or greater, according to Compton. Stage 2 is triggered if lake levels drop further to 60 percent, which Compton doubts will happen if the 5 percent usage reduction is achieved.

Other Resources

Tarrant Regional Water District Daily Reports

www.SaveArlingtonWater.com

How To Prepare Your Yard For Stage One Water Restrictions

Back to Drought Restrictions web site