RESTRICTIONS WATER
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
STAGE 4
Use of a sprinkler or irrigation system is limited to once a week before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on your designated day
Watering with a handheld hose is allowed at any time on any day
Watering with a sprinkler or irrigation system is limited to your designated day every other week.
Allowable water uses are reduced and surcharges may be imposed.
Local utility companies have enforced water restrictions to address the ongoing drought. Greater diversity in water sources could mean fewer restrictions like Schertz and Selma where no restrictions are currently in place.
relationship with the San Antonio Water System, and if they needed additional water they could get it for an additional cost. The city has seen explosive growth in recent years, but so far, the water supply has been able to keep up, Wil- liams said. However, Schertz Director of Public A airs Linda Klepper said residents may not have any restrictions right now, but the city is encouraging them to be aware of the drought and mind- ful of their water usage. Residents are being reminded on social media to conserve and to avoid wasteful water- ing, she said. Residents of Selma also have no water restrictions, but San Antonio as well as Garden Ridge, Cibolo and Universal City are all operating under Stage 2 restrictions, which limits use of an irrigation system or sprinkler to once per week on a designated day by address between 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m. The San Antonio Water System, which provides water for most of Bexar County, has remained in Stage 2 restrictions since April and attributes its ability to avoid stricter watering rules for its customers to its greater water diversity, citing that only about 50% of its water comes from the Edwards Aquifer, SAWS water conser- vation director Karen Guz said. The other 50% comes from a mix of the Vista Ridge pipeline, the Trin- ity Aquifer, Canyon Lake, the Carrizo Aquifer, and even recycled and stored Edwards Aquifer On Aug. 19, the EAA declared Stage 3 of its Critical Period Management Plan, which enforces a 35% reduction on permit holders pumping water out of the aquifer.
• Green Valley Special Utility District • The Edwards Aquifer Authority
• Garden Ridge • Live Oak
• San Antonio Water System • Universal City
SOURCES: EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY, NEW BRAUNFELS UTILITIES COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Months-long drought leads to strain on Central Texas water resources
It would take a signi cant amount of rain in the northwest region of Cen- tral Texas to allow drought restrictions to be lifted. If the area does not have any rainy seasons leading up to next summer, a dry climate will continue, according to EAA General Manager Roland Ruiz. “Short of signi cant rainfall between now and the start of next year, we’re going to nd ourselves where we are today, except earlier in the year,” Ruiz said. “Because we may not come out of any stage of critical period if we don’t have rainfall.” Varying water supplies While San Antonio and much of Bexar County rely heavily on the Edwards Aquifer, smaller cities in the Northeast San Antonio Metrocom each handle water di erently and pump water for their residents from a variety of sources, including the Carrizo, Trin- ity and Wilcox aquifers. Schertz has a partnership with Seguin to provide water through the Schertz Seguin Local Government Cor- poration to residents with much of the water coming from the Wilcox Aquifer. Schertz Public Works Director Suzanne Williams said the drought is not having a signi cant e ect on residents, and there are no water restrictions. “We supplement with Edwards Aquifer [water],” Williams said. “I guess we look at Edwards Aquifer as a backup for Schertz.” Williams said the city also has a
BY SIERRA MARTIN & TRICIA SCHWENNESEN
drought, with abnormally dry (D0) being the lowest level, and exceptional (D4) drought being the highest level. So far, 5.3% of Texas is in (D4), com- pared to the 71.3% of South Central Texas that experienced D4 conditions in November 2011, the last time the state experienced this level of drought. The Edwards Aquifer Authority remains in Stage 3 of its critical period management plan—more commonly thought of as water restrictions— which requires anyone permitted to pump water to reduce their usage by 35%. Since late July, the EAA has been teetering toward Stage 4 restrictions, which requires a 40% reduction in per- mitted pumping levels, o cials said. More than 2.5 million people; eight endangered species and several more on the threatened list; and other animals depend on the water from Edwards Aquifer, which has been identi ed as one of the largest and most unique aquifers in the world by Texas Parks & Wildlife. The J-17 Index Well in Bexar County is used to monitor and track water lev- els in the aquifer and correlates closely to ow levels from Comal Springs. The J-17 Index Well is over 23 feet below the historic average values for the summer months in the region, according to the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
Texas is experiencing its second-dri- est year in 128 years, which a ects 23.9 million people across the state, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. Many of the suburban cities along the I-35 North corridor as well as San Antonio itself get a percentage of their water from the Edwards Aquifer, which has seen water levels signi - cantly drop—down to levels not seen since 2014. Cities across the Northeast San Antonio Metrocom and Central Texas may see increased water restrictions in the future as the drought worsens across South Central Texas due to a lack of rainfall and high temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. The San Antonio-area, which includes the cities in the Northeast Metrocom, received 2.1 inches of rain in August and another 0.92 inches of rain as of Sept. 6, bringing to total 8.14 inches of rain so far this year, which is over 13 inches below the normal aver- age, National Weather Service Meteo- rologist Jason Runyen said. On Sept. 1, the National Drought Mitigation Center reported that nearly all of South Central Texas—90.5%— has been designated at some level of
PERMIT RENEWAL PROCESS The Edwards Aquifer Authority launched its six-year planning process for its Habitat Conservation Plan with a series of public listen and learn sessions. The goal is to then draft a plan as part of a request to renew a 30-year permit with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more on the plan visit www.eahcprenewal.org.
2022 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2023 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2024 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2025 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2026 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2027 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2028 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
PHASES Listen and learn Analyze and sign o Document USFWS review and action Interlocal agreements
Release draft HCP and NEPA document
USFWS issues ITP decision
Complete listen and learn report
Complete HCP and nal National Environmental Protection Act document
Submit draft HCP and Incidental Take Permit application to USFWS
Approve HCP elements
Permittees complete agreements
SOURCE: EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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