Drought conditions persist as water use eases
Even with recent rains and cooler weather, most of Williamson County remains in extreme or severe drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map for Texas released Thursday. However, cooler weather in recent weeks has resulted in a reduction in outdoor watering and water demand has eased.
As a result, the City is lifting its Stage 1 restrictions associated with the Drought Contingency Plan, which prohibited irrigation during the hottest afternoon hours of the day. The City continues to encourage watering in the early morning or late evening hours to avoid water waste from evaporation, especially on warmer days.
Customers are still asked to follow the year-round, two-day-per-week irrigation schedule. The two-day schedule spreads watering over six days each week in order to balance demand on the water system. Irrigation is not permitted on Mondays. Mondays are a maintenance and recovery day for the water system.
Additionally, the City encourages water conservation throughout the year. The City has enough untreated water to serve customers through 2043; however, through conservation, the City’s water supply can last past 2050.
Monitoring and managing your water use can help prevent surprises on your bill. The City has free programs, such as Aqua Alerts and GUARD, and rebates to help you track and reduce how much water you use.
During the summer, more than 75 percent of treated water is used for lawn irrigation. Most people water their lawns too much. Deep and infrequent watering results in healthy root growth for your lawn. For most households, the single biggest step you can take is to program your irrigation system correctly.
Improperly set irrigation systems waste water which leads to high bills. If you have an underground irrigation system, the City offers a $75 rebate to help offset the cost of having your irrigation controller inspected by a licensed irrigator and set to our recommended specifications. You will also learn how to maintain those settings.
To review your irrigation schedule or learn more about conservation and rebate programs, visit gus.georgetown.org/water.
About the water utility
The City of Georgetown serves about 42,000 water accounts representing approximately 106,000 customers in a 440-square-mile service area that includes the City of Georgetown and parts of Williamson, Bell, and Burnet counties.
