Friday, July 26, 2013

The Uninforced Laws of Texas for Stage 3 Drought

Finding Beauty in the Gross Wasting of Water



Stage 3 Watering Restrictions
Stage 3 of the Water Conservation and Drought Contingency and Emergency Water response plan for the City of Allen, Texas (the plan), and Ordinance number 2760-8-08 is in effect. 10% REDUCTION GOAL is required by North Texas Municipal Water District. Customers must use the Stage 3 Outdoor Watering Schedule Map to identify what day watering is permitted for their neighborhood. The City will strictly enforce water use restrictions. Citations are punishable by significant fines for each violation. All restrictions from the Water Conservation Plan and Stages 1, 2, and 3 of the Drought Contingency and Emergency Water Response Plan apply. As a supplement to the information included here, view the Stage 3 Water Conservation presentation made to Council on May 28.
In the Plan, Stage 3 States: 
  • Initiate mandatory water use restrictions as follows:
    • Prohibit hosing of paved areas, buildings, or windows. (Pressure washing of impervious surfaces is allowed.)
    • Prohibit operation of all ornamental fountains or other amenity impoundments to the extent they use treated water.
    • Prohibit washing or rinsing of vehicles by hose unless using a shut-off nozzle.
    • Prohibit using water in such a manner as to allow runoff or other waste.
  • Limit landscape watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems at each service address to once every seven days. All customers, residential and commercial, will be allowed to water as delineated by the City’s map that will be provided upon initiation of Stage 3. Exceptions are as follows:
    • Foundations, shrubs, and trees within a ten foot radius of their trunk may be watered for up to two hours on any day by a hand-held hose, a soaker hose, or a dedicated zone using a drip irrigation system. (Please limit this to no more than one additional day, only if necessary. Hand watering of turfgrass lawns is not permitted in this exception).
    • Golf courses may water greens and tee boxes without restrictions.
    • Public athletic fields used for competition may be watered twice per week.
    • Locations using on-site well water or properly permitted creek withdrawals may irrigate without restrictions.
    • Water may not be trucked or otherwise transported into the City for irrigation purposes.
    • ET/Smart irrigation systems are not exempt from once every seven day watering restrictions.
    • Exception for the establishment of new sodded grasses. The exemption for new sodded grass areas shall not exceed 30 consecutive days for the Certificate of Occupancy date, Temporary Certificate of Occupancy date, or Certificate of Completion date for new home or building construction.
  • Limit landscape watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems between November 1 and March 31 to once every two weeks. An exception is allowed for landscape associated with new construction that may be watered as necessary for 30 days from the date of the certificate of occupancy, temporary certificate of occupancy, or certificate of completion.
  • Prohibit hydroseeding, hydromulching, and sprigging.
  • Existing swimming pools may not be drained and refilled (except to replace normal water loss). Permits to construct new pools may continue to be issued and the pools may be constructed and filled with water. (In case of extreme equipment failure, or severe cracks/leaks to the pools, a variance to drain repair and refill may be granted on a case by case basis. Pool Companies may contact 214-509-4559 for more information.)
  • Prohibit watering of golf courses using treated water, except as needed to keep greens and tee boxes alive.
  • Prohibit the operation of all spray ground water parks or other water spray recreation activities that do not treat and recirculate water.
  • Prohibit the procurement of construction water ( i.e. through fire hydrant meters) from the City of Allen water supply that will be used outside the corporate city limits of the City of Allen.
In addition to Stage 3, these following measures from Stage 2 and the water conservation portion of the plan are also still in effect.  The Plan states:
Water Conservation Portion of Plan Section 8.4:
  • Time of day restrictions prohibiting lawn irrigation watering from 10 AM to 6 PM beginning April 1 and ending October 31 of each year.
  • Prohibition of watering of impervious surfaces. (Wind driven water drift will be taken into consideration.)
  • Prohibition of outdoor watering during precipitation or freeze events
  • Prohibition of the use of treated water to fill or refill residential, amenity, and any other natural or manmade ponds. A pond is considered to be a still body of water with a surface area of 500 square feet or more.
  • Rain and freeze sensors and/or ET or Smart controllers required on all new irrigation systems. Rain and freeze sensors and/or ET or Smart controllers must be maintained to function properly.
  • “At home” car washing can be done only when using a hose with a shut-off nozzle.

Down the hill and into the gutter the water goes

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