Hot and dry conditions lead to high water use

Updated, Aug. 22: Eastern areas in Williamson County are categorized as “moderate drought” while western areas of the County are designated “abnormally dry” on the United States Drought Monitor map for Texas. The designations reflect the sustained lack of rain and temperatures above 100 degrees this month in Georgetown and Williamson County.

In the past week, water use on some days has exceeded 90 percent of capacity of water treatment plants for the City of Georgetown. Moderating water demand below recent levels will prevent the need to put further water use restrictions into place.

Earlier this month when water treatment demand exceeded 85 percent of plant capacity, the City enacted Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan. During Stage 1, customers may not water their lawns between the hours of noon and 7 p.m.

“Our priority as a water utility is first to provide water for drinking and indoor domestic use, second to provide water for fire hydrants and fire protection, and third to provide water for outdoor lawn and landscape irrigation,” Georgetown Utility Director Glenn Dishong said. “To meet those priorities and expand our plants only when needed, we have asked customers to dial back their usage when we are in our peak demand as we are this month. The alternative is to pay for major plant expansions that will be used only a few days each year. And those expansions would most likely require higher water rates.”

What can you do to help reduce water use?

• Use the Seasonal Adjust setting on your irrigation controller and reduce it to 90 percent.
• Make sure you are on the two-day per week schedule. (Look it up at gus.georgetown.org/water/watering-days.)
• No watering from noon to 7 p.m.
• #NoWateringMonday since Mondays are a recharge days for our system.
• To report irrigation on Monday or not on the correct schedule, please send an email customercare@georgetown.org with the information. A utility representative will follow-up.

For help setting your irrigation controller, call Customer Care at (512) 930-3640.

For more information on the Drought Contingency Plan or your watering schedule, visit the drought information page. Go to the Drought Monitor map for Texas to see the latest on drought conditions.