City of Georgetown water customers: No watering in heat of day

City of Georgetown water utility customers should not water lawns or landscapes during the heat of the day, from noon to 7 p.m. effective immediately. This prohibition reflects the City entering Phase I of its drought contingency plan, which is in response to the Brazos River Authority entering Stage 1 Drought Watch for Lake Georgetown.

In addition, Georgetown water utility customers need to follow the two-day watering schedule and refrain from watering their lawns on Mondays. The year-round, two-day per week irrigation schedule is based on the last digit of the street address. Click here to view watering schedule.

“We are asking customers to take this additional step in conservation out of an abundance of caution, out of respect to the BRA’s warning, and so we can be good stewards of this shared, limited resource,” Water Utility Director Chelsea Solomon said. “Meeting the community’s demand for water is going to be more challenging than ever this summer, when we use 75 percent of our treated water trying to keep our lawns green during the hottest months. We are working to bring additional treatment capacity online, but the first won’t be operational until next year at the earliest. We need everyone’s help this summer, so we can continue to provide treated water to all the homes and businesses in our more than 400-square-mile service area.”

Irrigation is not permitted on Mondays, because they are a maintenance and recovery day for the water system. The two-day schedule spreads watering over six days each week in order to balance demand on the water system. Watering with a hand-held hose or bucket can be done any day and at any time. Other outdoor water uses like washing a vehicle or filling a swimming pool, can be done any day at any time.

Violations of the irrigation schedule and watering during the heat of the day may result in fines.

Lake Georgetown is in Stage 1 Drought Watch due to drier-than-normal conditions in portions of the Brazos River basin and drought trigger levels set by the BRA’s Drought Contingency Plan. As of March 23, Lake Georgetown was at 76 percent of full capacity, according to the authority. Williamson County is also in a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s March 18 update. Practicing wise water use now will help to ensure adequate water supply during the hotter summer months.

During the summer months, 75 percent of the drinking water treated each day in the city is used to irrigate lawns and landscapes. Following the City’s two-day watering schedule and adjusting irrigation run times can help save water and still maintain a healthy lawn.

The best time for watering your lawn and landscape is on your watering day in the early morning hours after midnight. This allows the water to soak into the soil and reach the roots of your grass and plants. Watering during the heat of the day, especially between noon and 7 p.m., should be avoided since much of the water sprayed from sprinklers will evaporate and is wasted.

For help setting your irrigation controller, call customer care at 512-930-3640.

While the City is not running out of water, conservation during the hottest and driest parts of the year help ensure our shared resource is available for all who need it. The City also has several ongoing water utility expansion projects to help meet the needs of our growing population. This includes the expansion of the North Lake Water Treatment Plant, which is expected to be completed in summer 2023, and the construction of a South Lake Water Treatment Plant, which should be operational in 2025.

Click here for more information on the Drought Contingency Plan.

The City of Georgetown’s third annual State of the City presentation will premiere on Facebook and YouTube from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 13.

In the video presentation, which will premiere at noon, Mayor Josh Schroeder and City Manager David Morgan highlight significant events and major projects completed in 2021 and preview what’s to come in 2022.

Topics include:

• Winter Storm Uri
• Growth
• Water and electric utilities
• Transportation
• Quality of life

“While 2021 tested us, we still came together as a community,” Schroeder said. “Now, we’re stronger than ever. You can see it every time you interact with your Georgetown neighbors, businesses, and City staff.”

During the lunch hour, residents are invited to submit questions to Morgan and City leaders in the Facebook or YouTube comments, or by emailing pio@georgetown.org. The City will post answers in the comment sections and on the event webpage.

“We have a lot of great information to share about the steps we are taking to plan and prepare for the continued growth we have been experiencing while maintaining the welcoming, vibrant Georgetown we all love,” Morgan said. “This is our first attempt at this kind of virtual event. I’m looking forward to connecting with Georgetown residents and seeing if this is a format we should use more often.”

The City held its first State of the City event in 2020 at City Hall and in council chambers. The 2021 event was held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Click here for more information on the State of the City premiere, including instructions on how to join the event and additional details on the topics covered.

On Feb. 8, City Council approved an updated Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was informed through feedback from residents last year.

The plan, which is updated every five years, aims to minimize, or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards, such as droughts floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and other major disasters. Hazard mitigation efforts include projects such as flood channel clearing, road and bridge design changes, property buy-outs, building code changes, or public alert systems.

”A priority for City Council is to better prepare and respond to disasters,” Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “This plan is a critical tool to ensure we appropriately inventory the natural hazards facing Georgetown and prioritize efforts to mitigate those threats.”

Residents were able to provide input on the draft plan through May 30, 2021. The City hosted an online survey Dec. 17, 2020-Jan. 17, 2021, asking residents and business owners to help identify, analyze, and prepare for potential hazards.

During that survey, residents and business owners were asked to share whether they had been affected by disaster events and what areas of the community they thought are particularly vulnerable to potential disasters. The City received 349 responses to the survey. Of those who responded, 47 percent indicated they had been affected by a natural or manmade disaster in the past five years, the most common being hail.

The public was able to provide comments on the draft plan through May 30, 2021, which was compiled and included in the final draft plan, along with feedback from a City Council workshop on April 13, 2021. The bulk of the comments centered on improving communications with the public during emergencies and better preparing for and improving community awareness of various hazards, including drought, wildfire, flash flooding, and human-caused disasters like hazardous material spills.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management and Federal Emergency Management Agency reviewed and approved the plan on Jan. 6. City Council unanimously adopted the plan Feb. 8, 2022.

The final plan is available on the City’s website. The updated Hazard Mitigation Plan also allows the city to pursue different federal and state funding opportunities to implement the plan.

The City of Georgetown is hosting two arts events for our visitors and resident art lovers in April. Students from Georgetown ISD also will be installing a new mural downtown.

Spring Art Stroll

Patrons are invited to come view and purchase art, enjoy live music, and engage in arts activities from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at various locations in the Downtown Georgetown Cultural District.

Arts activities will take place at multiple locations, including Grace Plaza, Grace Heritage Center, Georgetown Art Center, local arts businesses, The Williamson Museum, Georgetown Public Library, and the Shotgun House Museum. Visitors are also invited for photo opportunities and face painting on Rock Street before joining Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Pitts at 7:15 p.m. at To Have and To Hold, 215 W. Eighth St., for a dedication of Georgetown’s newest mural, “Traditions to the Future” by Mila Sketch.

Participants will also be able to view and provide feedback on the new street mural and decorative crosswalk at the Georgetown Public Library while enjoying offerings from Southbound Sips and Scoops Ice Cream.

Artists selected as booth exhibitors in Grace Plaza include Jennifer Warner’s photography, Deitra Roberts-Biely’s custom jewelry, Katie Pendrey’s stained glass, Randall Case’s large mixed media paintings, and Virginia Headley Maserang’s abstract encaustics.

Find out more information about the Spring Art Stroll.

Arts and Culture Brown Bag Luncheon

 The quarterly Arts and Culture Brown Bag Luncheon returns at noon April 14. Pack your lunch and join us at the Georgetown Public Library for a presentation by Civic Arts Executive Director Lynn Osgood. Her presentation, “Arts Leading the Way in Community Development,” breaks down the details of how to use the arts and public art in community development projects and other creative place-making initiatives. Updates from arts and culture stakeholders in the Downtown Georgetown Cultural District will follow Osgood’s presentation.

Find more information about the Arts and Culture Brown Bag Luncheon.

Georgetown ISD mural Expansion by Forbes Middle School art students

 Students from Forbes Middle School were selected by the Georgetown ISD Fine Arts Department to install another section of the GISD mural at 101 E. Seventh St., the building that is home to Tejas Meat Supply. The mural wall shares an alleyway with The Baked Bear. The new section will complement the existing section by Georgetown High School students and lead student Peyton Vega, “Everyone Deserves Kindness.”

The new section was designed by lead artist Kelsie Cargill and is titled, “Be Your Own Person.” The mural will be painted first on “ripstop” mural fabric and adhered to the wall of the building. Cargill and other students will paint the mural in the classroom during late March. Installation is scheduled for the week of April 11.

More information about arts and culture in Georgetown is available here.