Water woes. Stage 3 affects hose, sprinkler rules

By neil sturdevant | on August 03, 2023

No landscape watering with an irrigation system, soaker hose or sprinkler except before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. on the same day a city resident’s garbage is scheduled for pickup.

watering with a hand-held hose is allowed any day of the week, with the same time restrictions. Hoses must have a grip nozzle or other device which automatically shuts off flow when not in use.

pools over 7,500 gallons may not be filled with municipal water.

The city of Uvalde declared Stage 3 water restrictions last week for municipal customers. With 100 degree temperatures prevailing and no rain for a month, water restrictions abound, including those from the Edwards Aquifer Authority.

The U.S. National Weather Service predicts dangerously hot temperatures through the week and into the weekend, with near-critical fire weather conditions expected many afternoons.

Municipal Stage 3 builds on Stage 2 rules, in effect since Sept. 27, 2022, including restricting landscape watering with an irrigation system, soaker hose or sprinkler to before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.on the same day a city resident’s garbage is scheduled for pickup.

Watering with a hand-held hose is allowed any day of the week, with the same time restrictions, and hoses must have a grip nozzle or other device which automatically shuts off flow when not in use; pools over 7,500 gallons may not be filled with municipal water; and hotels and other lodgings have a mandatory three-day or checkout restriction for linen and towel changes.

The city also has a drought surcharge for municipal water customers, with higher fees based on how many gallons of water are used in a given month.

In Stage 2, customers known as Tier 2, who use more than 20,000 gallons of water during a monthly billing cycle, began seeing a 15-percent bill increase, and heavy water users, known as Tier 3, using 50,000 gallons and up, saw a 25-percent increase.

With Stage 3 water restrictions implemented, Tier 2 rates will rise by 25 percent and Tier 3 by 75 percent.

For a full listing of city of Uvalde water rules, please visit cms8.revize.com/revize/uvaldetx/Ordinance%20No.%202015-13.pdf.

Drought conditions

Per the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 52.49 percent of Uvalde County is in D2, or severe drought, conditions.

Uvalde has not seen rain since July 1-2, when a storm brought 1.66 inches, boosting the year-to-date rainfall total to 11.78 inches. Fifteen days last month registered 100 degrees or more.

Rainfall chances are scant right now, with the U.S. Weather Service predicting more 100-degree days ahead.

Last year, a robust August rainfall more than doubled the yearly rain total. August of 2022 brought a whopping 6.76 inches, with the majority, 5.20 inches, coming in the last week or so of the month.

Per the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the Uvalde Pool, monitored by the J-27 index well, hit Stage 3 restrictions on June 26, 2023.

Stage 3 restrictions, requiring the city to reduce pumping by 20 percent, begin when the index well measurement reaches a 10-day average of 845 or less.

As of Aug. 1, the index well measured 842.3 feet, with a 10-day average of 842.7 feet.

EAA Stage 4 for the Uvalde Pool is triggered if the 10-day average reaches less than 842 feet and requires a 35 percent pumping reduction; and Stage 5, which requires a 44 percent reduction in groundwater pumping, kicks in at less than 840 feet.

The San Antonio Pool is in Stage 4, declared on July 24, which requires a 40 percent pumping reduction for counties including Bexar and Medina, and portions of Atascosa, Hayes, Comal, Guadalupe and Caldwell.

The EAA critical management plan, intended to sustain aquifer and springflow levels in times of drought, initiates a reduction in the amount of groundwater authorized users may access. The plan is implemented based on water readings at designated wells or springflow areas, to help balance the water needs for approximately 2 million people who rely on the Edwards Aquifer.

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