Water
Conservation
 Jack
May, Water Dept director, spoke to
the City Manager's Quarterly
Meeting for neighborhood
HOA's about the city's and area's
water conservation efforts.
These
meetings are open for HOA presidents
and vice presidents - or their designated
representative.
Here are the main points:
- Lake Lavon is down 11.5 feet
- Garland plans to stay in Stage
2, which we started in February,
months ahead of other area cities
- Garland will disconnect your
water after the third offense,
but Frisco is fining people $2000
and putting a sign in their yards
- Garland residents are using much
less water than other cities per
capita; we're about 160-170 gallons/day/capita;
that's includes use by our industrial
sector so we're doing well by comparison
- Garland has older neighborhoods
with less bathrooms, pools, sprinkler
systems, etc., that helps conservation
- Irrigation (watering the lawn)
is the major use; water use skyrockets
at 8:01 p.m. when restrictions
first allow watering of lawns
- Most calls complaining are not
about the restrictions but about
others violating the restrictions;
Garland is very conscious and positive
toward conservation
- The water department is preparing
four-color door hangers that could
be left on a violators door informing
them of the rules and giving them
friendly notice; these could be
distributed by HOA's, neighborhood
associations, crime watch groups,
etc.
- Firewheel Golf Park waters using
water from Rowlett Creek, which
requires permission from the City
of Dallas
- This drought is approaching the
big drought of the 1950's
- Garland gets its water from the
North Texas Municipal Water District,
which now has thirteen members,
including Richardson and Plano
- NTMWD draws water from Lake Lavon;
water is also diverted from Lake
Cooper (Chapman) to Lavon; some
water is drawn from Lake Texoma
but the saline content limits how
much can be used
- Water rates will change soon;
levels of use will be established
so that low-use will have lower
rates and high-use will be charged
more; the program will be revenue
neutral, not take in more than
it is now; the state strongly "encourages" this
rate structure
- Lake Lavon is not required to
drain any water to Lake Ray Hubbard
(owned by Dallas)
- Garland probably wouldn't go
to Stage 3 unless the NTMWD goes
to Stage 4
To learn more about conservation
efforts in Garland and to avoid being
cited for improperly using water,
please check Garland's website section
on Water
Conservation.
Water Rationing Stage 2
Moderate Water Rationing
Requirements
- Irrigation of landscape areas
with hose-end sprinklers or automatic
irrigation systems is prohibited
except on designated watering days.
Irrigation of landscaped areas
is permitted at anytime if it is
done by means of a hand-held hose,
a faucet-filled bucket or watering
can of five gallons or less, or
by drip irrigation.
Designated watering days means
Sundays and Thursdays only between
the hours of midnight and 10:00
a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to midnight
for customers with an even numbered
street address, and Saturdays and
Wednesdays only between the hours
of midnight and 10:00 a.m. and
8:00 p.m. to midnight for customers
with an odd numbered street address.
 Use
of water to wash any vehicle, including
without limitation a motor vehicle,
motorcycle, boat, trailer, or airplane,
is prohibited except on designated
watering days. Vehicle washing,
when permitted, must be done with
a hand-held bucket or a hand-held
hose equipped with a positive shutoff
nozzle for quick rinses. Vehicle
washing may be done at any time
on the immediate premises of a
commercial car wash or commercial
service station. It is an affirmative
defense to prosecution under this
subsection if the vehicle washing
was done in the interest of public
health such as the washing of garbage
trucks and vehicles used to transport
food and perishables.
- The use of water to fill, refill,
or add to any indoor or outdoor
swimming pool, wading pool, hot
tub or spa-type pool is prohibited
except on designated watering days.
- The operation of any ornamental
fountain or pond for aesthetic
or scenic purposes is prohibited
except when necessary to support
aquatic life or where such fountains
or ponds are equipped with a recirculation
system.
- The use of water from hydrants
except in fire fighting and related
activities, or other activities
necessary to maintain public health,
safety, and welfare, is prohibited.
The use of water from hydrants
for construction purposes may be
allowed under a variance from the
Director.
- The use of water for the irrigation
of golf course greens, tees, and
fairways is prohibited except on
designated watering days unless
the golf course uses a non-potable
water source or a water source
other than that provided by the
City.
- All restaurants are prohibited
from serving water to their patrons
except on request of the patron.
- The use of water to wash down
sidewalks, walkways, driveways,
parking lots, tennis courts, or
other hard-surface areas is prohibited.
- The use of water to wash down
building or structures for purposes
other than immediate fire protection
is prohibited.
- The use of water for dust control
is prohibited.
- The use of water for flushing
gutters or permitting water to
run or accumulate in any gutter
or street is prohibited.
- It is an offense to fail or
refuse to repair a controllable
leak within a reasonable period
after having been given notice
directing the repair of such leak(s).Sec.
51.95. Enforcement.
Unless otherwise specified
in this article, no culpable
mental state is required
for the commission of
an offense under this
article
If a person is convicted
of three or more violations
of this article, the
Director, upon notice
to the customer, may
discontinue water service
to the premises where
such violations have
occurred. Services discontinued
under such circumstances
will be restored only
upon payment of a reconnection
charge of $50.00, and
any other costs incurred
by the City in discontinuing
service.
Any person in apparent
control of the premises
where a violation occurs
or originates is presumed
to be the violator, and
proof that the violation
occurred on the person's
premises constitutes
a rebuttable presumption
that the person in apparent
control of the property
committed the violation.
Parents are presumed
to be responsible for
violations of their minor
children and proof that
a violation, committed
by a child, occurred
on the premises under
the parent's control
constitutes a rebuttable
presumption that the
parent committed the
violation. The presumption
may be rebutted by proof
that the parent had previously
directed the child not
to use the water as it
was used in violation
of the Plan and that
the parent could not
have reasonably known
of the violation.
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Water
Conservation Tips Your Lawn and
Garden
Mulch Everything
This
is the #1 Priority when
drought conditions threaten,
it's time to mulch. Put a generous
two-to-three inch layer on top
of your flowerbeds, around your
trees, and in your gardens. A
good thick layer of mulch is
the first line of defense.
Prepare New Beds Properly
Expanded
Shale and Compost, a two inch
layer of each tilled into your soils
of new plantings, adds proper
drainage and also holds enough moisture
around your plants' roots to
help prevent undue summer stress.
Water Correctly
Water
applied through your sprinkler
system should be applied heavily,
but less often; follow your home
city's rules for sprinkler usage.
Water in the early morning to avoid
unnecessary evaporation, and when
you do water, soak your plants
hard. This heavier, less frequent
watering encourages a strong, deep
root system that is less prone
to drought stress.
Do Not Over Fertilize
Turf Heavily fertilized
lawns need heavier watering.
In drought conditions - with
water restrictions active - go
easy on the feedings. The turf
won't be a lush, brilliant green,
but it won't burn up either. |
