Stage Two Drought Restrictions Now in Place
(6/15/09)
Even though it's just the beginning of summer, the long spell of dry weather in South Texas has already taken its toll. On Saturday, San Antonio’s J-17 Edwards monitoring well dropped to 649.6, prompting San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley to announce Stage Two drought restrictions in effect.
Stage Two of the city’s drought management plan is triggered when the level of the Edwards Aquifer drops to 650 feet or below at the J-17 monitoring well near Ft. Sam Houston. San Antonio has been following Stage One restrictions since April 10.
During Stage Two, state law mandates that pumpers, including SAWS, reduce the amount of water they pump from the aquifer by 30 percent. SAWS encourages San Antonians to reduce water use wherever possible; with dry weather expected to continue throughout the summer, further declines in the aquifer levels are expected. Every day we can delay watering our lawns is another chance for rain!
The major difference between Stage One and Stage Two restrictions that people will notice are time changes to the one-day-per-week landscape watering schedule. Watering with a sprinkler, soaker hose or irrigation system is allowed only during the hours of 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on your designated day, as determined by the last number of your street address:
0 or 1 – Monday
2 or 3 – Tuesday
4 or 5 – Wednesday
6 or 7 – Thursday
8 or 9 – Friday
Overnight watering is not allowed. Watering with a handheld hose is still allowed, any day, any time.
Details on Stage Two rules are available online at www.saws.org/drought.
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