(Wylie, Texas) In response to the ongoing drought and historically low lake levels, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) Board of Directors recently voted to extend the NTMWD Water Conservation and Drought Contingency and Water Emergency Response Plan Stage 3 seasonal watering restrictions through April 30. This means that residential and business customers will be limited to landscape watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems to once every two weeks, when needed. Future actions on watering restrictions will depend on water levels in the District’s supply reservoirs.
“Our primary water supplies are below normal due to less than average rainfall and the persistent drought,” said Tom Kula, Executive Director of NTMWD. “Before we can lift water restrictions, our reservoirs need several months of average rainfall -- enough to significantly raise lake levels.” For now, the NTMWD Board of Directors will reconsider the continuation of Stage 3 watering restrictions on a monthly basis at least through May.
As of February 26, 2015, Lavon Lake’s elevation was down 10.98 feet and Lake Jim Chapman, another critical NTMWD water source, was also down 9.91 feet.
NTMWD reminds customers that thousands of gallons of water can be saved through proper irrigation practices. “Overwatering our lawns and not repairing broken or misaligned sprinkler heads are the largest water wasters outside the home.” said Kula. “We urge all residents and business owners with sprinkler or automatic irrigation systems to operate those systems on manual mode and only water their lawns when needed.
NTMWD has identified and is developing additional raw water supplies to meet the future water demands and population growth for the next 50 years. These supplies and other required water management strategies are included in the 2012 State Water Plan.