Drought

Colorado County Drought Monitor

Current Drought Policy

Stage 1 – Mild Water Rationing Conditions

Triggering conditions – Upon designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) of drought condition D2-Severe Drought for Colorado County, Texas ; customers of  BWS shall be required to adhere to Stage 1 water rationing.

Requirements for termination – Stage 1 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed

as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven (7) consecutive days.

Stage 1 Water Use Restrictions  –  Under threat of penalty for violation, the following water use restrictions shall apply to all customers:

Landscape Watering Schedule

1. Monday and Thursday: Residents with an even last number of their home address may     water
2. Tuesday and Friday: Residents with an odd last number of their home address may           water
3. Watering on Saturday or Sunday is prohibited
4. Restricted Outdoor Watering Hours: Outdoor watering should be done only

            between the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on your day to water

• Restricted Outdoor Watering Volume: Water no more than 1 inch on your watering day
• The use of permanent irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers is allowed.

Stage 2 – Moderate Water Shortage Conditions

Triggering conditions – Upon designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) of drought condition D3-Extreme Drought or D4-Exceptional Drought for Colorado County, Texas ; BWS customers shall be required to adhere to Stage 2 water rationing.

Requirements for termination – Stage 2 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed

as triggered events have ceased to exist for a period of seven (7) consecutive days. Upon termination of

Stage II, Stage I becomes operative.

Stage 2 Water Use Restrictions  –  Under threat of penalty for violation, the following water use restrictions shall apply to all customers:

1. Monday and Thursday: Residents with an even last number of their home address may water
2. Tuesday and Friday: Residents with an odd last number of their home address may water
3. Watering on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday is prohibited
4. Restricted Outdoor Watering Hours: Outdoor watering should be done only

between the hours of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on your day to water

• Restricted Outdoor Watering Volume: Water no more than 1 inch on your watering day.
• The use of permanent irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers is prohibited.
• Watering shall be by means of hand-held hoses, hand-held buckets, drip irrigation only.
• Use of water to fill, refill, or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools, wading pools,

or jacuzzi-type pools is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours

of 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

• Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited

except where necessary to support noncommercial aquatic life or when such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.

The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:

            1)         Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other                                     vehicle

• wash down of any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or

                        other hard-surfaced areas;

• use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate

                        fire protection;

• use of water for dust control;
• flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and

            failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a 3 day period after having been

            given notice directing the repair of such leak(s).

Stage 3 – Emergency Water Shortage Conditions

Triggering Conditions – Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and

restrictions for Stage 3 of this Plan when the BWS President, or his/her designee, determines that a

water supply emergency exists based on:

1. Major water line breaks, or pump or system failures occur, which cause an             unprecedented
2. loss of capability to provide water service; or
3. Natural or man-made contamination of the water supply source(s).

Requirements for termination – Stage 3 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed

as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of seven (7) consecutive days.

Stage 3 Water Use Restrictions –  All requirements of Stage 2 shall remain in effect during Stage 3 except:   Irrigation of landscaped areas is absolutely prohibited.

1. Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane, or other             vehicle is absolutely prohibited.
2. The filling, refilling, or adding of water to swimming pools, wading pools, and

                        jacuzzi-type pools is absolutely prohibited.

1. Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is   absolutely prohibited except where necessary to support noncommercial aquatic life or           where such fountains are equipped with a recirculation system.
2. No applications for new, additional, expanded, or increased-in-size water service

            connections, meters, service lines, pipeline extensions, mains, or water service

            facilities of any kind shall be allowed or approved.

Variances

The BWS President, or his/her designee, may, in writing, grant temporary variance for existing water

uses otherwise prohibited under this Plan if it is determined that failure to grant such variance would

cause an emergency condition adversely affecting the health or sanitation for the public

or the person requesting such variance and if one or more of the following conditions are met:

1. Compliance with this Plan cannot be technically accomplished during the duration

of the water supply shortage or other condition for which the Plan is in effect.

• Alternative methods can be implemented which will achieve the same level of reduction in water use and use by customer of the alternative methods are approved in writing by the BWS president.

Persons requesting an exemption from the provisions of this Ordinance shall file a petition for variance

with BWS within 5 days after the Plan or a particular drought response stage has been invoked.  All petitions for variance shall be reviewed by the BWS President, or his/her designee, and shall include the following:

1. Name and address of the petitioner(s).

• Purpose of water use.

• Specific provisions(s) of the Plan which the petitioner is requesting relief.

• Detailed statement as to how the specific provision of the Plan adversely affects the

            petitioner or what damage or harm will occur to the petitioner or others if petitioner

            complies with this Ordinance.

• Description of the relief requested.

• Period of time for which the variance is sought.

• Alternative water use restrictions or other measures the petitioner is taking or proposes     to take to meet the intent of this Plan and the compliance date.

• Other pertinent information.

Variances granted by Barten WSC shall be subjected to the following conditions, unless waived or

modified by the BWS President or his/her designee:

• Variance granted shall include a timetable for compliance.

• Variance granted shall expire when the Plan is no longer in effect, unless the petitioner     has failed to meet specified requirements.

• No variance shall be retroactive or otherwise justify any violation of this Plan occurring   prior to the issuance of the variance.