Cities forced to get tough on watering
Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 11:05 am
For many North Texans, drought means once a week, and that's it
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – As he scrutinized a row of misting sprinklers, Mike Barth spotted a spray head shooting water beyond Bermuda grass and onto Ken Cross' driveway.
"Can I show you this one other trick?" Mr. Barth, Frisco's irrigation specialist, asked the homeowner, pulling out a screwdriver to adjust the sprinkler. Seconds later, the once-errant drops were falling onto grass instead of concrete.
Mr. Barth has a full plate these days performing free "irrigation audits" for Frisco residents as the city ramps up for mandatory water restrictions this summer.
Next month, Frisco and many other North Texas cities will begin limiting outdoor watering to once a week as the region copes with a persistent drought.
Tonight, city councils in Plano and Richardson will vote on plans for enacting stricter water-control measures required by the North Texas Municipal Water District. The district, which has more than 60 member cities, will raise its drought response to Stage 3 – or "severe" – on June 1.
Beginning that day, watering from midmorning to early evening will be banned in much of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties until Sept. 30, although many cities have had such bans for several years.
Cities also are stepping up their enforcement power, warning that violations could cost as much as $2,000.
Frisco has hired three seasonal employees to patrol neighborhoods and, if need be, shut off offending sprinkler systems.
"They'll be working around the clock, because there are so many sprinkler systems that come on in the middle of the night," said Gary Hartwell, Frisco's director of public works.
The Plano City Council will consider a drought plan tonight that would divide the city into five zones, limit landscape watering to once a week and prohibit watering from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The plan also would limit watering on golf courses that use city water.
City officials say the measures are needed to protect dwindling levels at Lake Lavon, the primary water source for Collin County's largest cities.
"The timing of all this is what makes it so serious," said Jimmy Foster, Plano's public works director. "July and August are serious water-use months, and if the lake keeps going down, then the supply is going to become very, very limited."
If the council approves the plan tonight, Plano will aim to enact the new watering schedules by mid-June, Mr. Foster said.
Also tonight, the Richardson City Council will vote on a drought plan that limits watering to 30 minutes twice a week on garbage collection days.
The outlook is less dire at Dallas Water Utilities, which provides water for Dallas and about 20 nearby cities. Recent rains that have missed Lake Lavon in Collin County have hit the lakes that Dallas draws from, such as Lake Ray Hubbard and Lewisville Lake.
"A lot of the rain has fallen on our watersheds," said Charlie Stringer, assistant director of water operations at Dallas Water Utilities.
On June 1, Dallas will adopt its usual summer ban on landscape watering from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – a step also taken by Fort Worth. But the drought has yet to spur additional mandatory restrictions in Dallas or its customer cities, Mr. Stringer said.
The Upper Trinity Regional Water District, a Dallas customer that provides water to many Denton County cities, also is emphasizing voluntary conservation.
"What we're asking at this point is that people recognize the need to conserve, and use water more wisely and efficiently," district spokesman Jason Pierce said. "But basically, we have an adequate water supply."
It might be awhile before the region's lakes return to higher levels. George Bomar, a meteorologist and Texas weather expert, said May has failed to deliver the rainfall that many had been hoping for.
"We're staring at summer without much prospect of getting any appreciable rain until late summer or early autumn," Mr. Bomar said. "We're not even over the hump yet in terms of getting this drought behind us."
_____________________________________________________________
Summer watering tips:
This summer, some cities will limit watering to 1 inch every seven days. If you live in one of those cities, prepare your lawn now for less watering later. Slowly cut back to watering your lawn about 1 inch a week.
Don't hose down hard surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks.
Repair broken sprinkler heads so you're watering your lawn, not the street or your home.
If you plan to install new landscaping, prepare your beds now with plenty of mulch. Experts from the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association recommend 4 to 6 inches. Mulch prevents evaporation and keeps soil moist.
If you install plants, choose "water-wise" varieties such as lantana, salvia and Mexican sage. Ask your local nursery, home improvement retailer or landscape professional for more information.
Raise your lawnmower blade and cut grass to a height of 3 inches – this shades the soil, reducing evaporation and allows roots to grow deeper.
SOURCE: North Texas Municipal Water District
By JAKE BATSELL / The Dallas Morning News
FRISCO, Texas – As he scrutinized a row of misting sprinklers, Mike Barth spotted a spray head shooting water beyond Bermuda grass and onto Ken Cross' driveway.
"Can I show you this one other trick?" Mr. Barth, Frisco's irrigation specialist, asked the homeowner, pulling out a screwdriver to adjust the sprinkler. Seconds later, the once-errant drops were falling onto grass instead of concrete.
Mr. Barth has a full plate these days performing free "irrigation audits" for Frisco residents as the city ramps up for mandatory water restrictions this summer.
Next month, Frisco and many other North Texas cities will begin limiting outdoor watering to once a week as the region copes with a persistent drought.
Tonight, city councils in Plano and Richardson will vote on plans for enacting stricter water-control measures required by the North Texas Municipal Water District. The district, which has more than 60 member cities, will raise its drought response to Stage 3 – or "severe" – on June 1.
Beginning that day, watering from midmorning to early evening will be banned in much of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties until Sept. 30, although many cities have had such bans for several years.
Cities also are stepping up their enforcement power, warning that violations could cost as much as $2,000.
Frisco has hired three seasonal employees to patrol neighborhoods and, if need be, shut off offending sprinkler systems.
"They'll be working around the clock, because there are so many sprinkler systems that come on in the middle of the night," said Gary Hartwell, Frisco's director of public works.
The Plano City Council will consider a drought plan tonight that would divide the city into five zones, limit landscape watering to once a week and prohibit watering from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The plan also would limit watering on golf courses that use city water.
City officials say the measures are needed to protect dwindling levels at Lake Lavon, the primary water source for Collin County's largest cities.
"The timing of all this is what makes it so serious," said Jimmy Foster, Plano's public works director. "July and August are serious water-use months, and if the lake keeps going down, then the supply is going to become very, very limited."
If the council approves the plan tonight, Plano will aim to enact the new watering schedules by mid-June, Mr. Foster said.
Also tonight, the Richardson City Council will vote on a drought plan that limits watering to 30 minutes twice a week on garbage collection days.
The outlook is less dire at Dallas Water Utilities, which provides water for Dallas and about 20 nearby cities. Recent rains that have missed Lake Lavon in Collin County have hit the lakes that Dallas draws from, such as Lake Ray Hubbard and Lewisville Lake.
"A lot of the rain has fallen on our watersheds," said Charlie Stringer, assistant director of water operations at Dallas Water Utilities.
On June 1, Dallas will adopt its usual summer ban on landscape watering from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. – a step also taken by Fort Worth. But the drought has yet to spur additional mandatory restrictions in Dallas or its customer cities, Mr. Stringer said.
The Upper Trinity Regional Water District, a Dallas customer that provides water to many Denton County cities, also is emphasizing voluntary conservation.
"What we're asking at this point is that people recognize the need to conserve, and use water more wisely and efficiently," district spokesman Jason Pierce said. "But basically, we have an adequate water supply."
It might be awhile before the region's lakes return to higher levels. George Bomar, a meteorologist and Texas weather expert, said May has failed to deliver the rainfall that many had been hoping for.
"We're staring at summer without much prospect of getting any appreciable rain until late summer or early autumn," Mr. Bomar said. "We're not even over the hump yet in terms of getting this drought behind us."
_____________________________________________________________
Summer watering tips:
This summer, some cities will limit watering to 1 inch every seven days. If you live in one of those cities, prepare your lawn now for less watering later. Slowly cut back to watering your lawn about 1 inch a week.
Don't hose down hard surfaces such as driveways and sidewalks.
Repair broken sprinkler heads so you're watering your lawn, not the street or your home.
If you plan to install new landscaping, prepare your beds now with plenty of mulch. Experts from the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association recommend 4 to 6 inches. Mulch prevents evaporation and keeps soil moist.
If you install plants, choose "water-wise" varieties such as lantana, salvia and Mexican sage. Ask your local nursery, home improvement retailer or landscape professional for more information.
Raise your lawnmower blade and cut grass to a height of 3 inches – this shades the soil, reducing evaporation and allows roots to grow deeper.
SOURCE: North Texas Municipal Water District