January 16, 2013 (UPDATE - Some water restrictions included here have been revised 8/13/13)
Drought conditions in the Nueces River Basin over the past two years have triggered Stage 2 mandatory water use restrictions that deal primarily with lawn watering.
The mandatory Stage 2 restrictions were triggered when the combined levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon Reservoir (LCC/CCR System) dropped below 40% of storage capacity. In mid-January the level had dropped to below 39%.
All customers of the regional water system managed by the City of Corpus Christi are required to comply with the restrictions. The San Patricio Municipal Water District is part of this system as are its wholesale customers including municipal water providers in Odem, Taft, Gregory, Portland, Ingleside, Aransas Pass, Rockport and Port Aransas. These cities have begun advising residents and businesses of the need to reduce water use.
The adopted Drought Contingency Plan sets a Stage 2 target for each municipal water provider. They are to take measures that will reduce overall water demand in their system by an amount equal to 5% of their 5-year average annual total water demand.
Brian Williams, Water District general manager, said industrial customers have also been encouraged to follow conservation plans and intensify their ongoing efforts to conserve water.
“Conservation is our least expensive and most available option for protecting our water supply. We are asking everyone to do their part to conserve water,” said Corpus Christi Mayor Nelda Martinez.
REGIONAL WATER RESTRICTIONS
The following minimum water use restrictions are in effect during Stage 2:
1. Lawn watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. unless using a hand-held hose or bucket.
2. Lawn watering must not result in water running off into gutters, streets and storm drains.
3. Defective plumbing that results in water loss must be repaired.
4. Water may not run constantly through a tap, hydrant or valve.
5. Commercial plant nurseries must use hand held devices, drop or sprinkler systems to irrigate their stock.
6. Large property owners much obtain approval from their water provider of a specific watering plan
Each city government may impose additional restrictions and is responsible for notifying customers and for enforcement. For example, the City of Portland has enlisted code enforcement and public works employees to identify potential violations and work with customers.
In Rockport ongoing lawn watering restrictions tied to transmission system limitations continue in place. These additional restrictions include limiting residential customers to watering on Wednesdays and Saturdays while commercial and multi-family users can water only on Tuesdays and Fridays.
While the Lake Corpus Christi/Choke Canyon System has dropped below 40%, Lake Texana levels have been above 85% of capacity for the past year. About half of the Water District's average supply volume of 22 million gallons per day comes from Lake Texana.
DROUGHT CONTINGECY PLAN
The regional plan for dealing with drought conditions involved the following triggers:
Stage 1 – If the combined LCC/CCR lake levels drop below 50% then customers are asked to step up voluntary conservation measure.
Stage 2 – LCC/CCR lake levels drop below 40%. Mandatory lawn watering restrictions.
Stage 3 – LCC/CCR lake levels drop below 30%. Residential lawn watering will be sharply restricted with to allow watering of lawns and landscaping only ever five days (or a longer depending on municipality).
The Water District has asked cities and rural water providers to take every opportunity to encourage residential and commercial customers to use the water supply wisely.
