Georgetown Edition | May 2023

GOVERNMENT

Georgetown shortens watering hours for residents, businesses

WATERing SCHEDULES The city of Georgetown changed the times during which residents and commercial customers may use automatic irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers. Nondrought conditions: midnight-10 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight (two days a week) Phase 1 of drought contingency plan: midnight-9 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight (two days a week) Phase 2 of drought contingency plan: midnight-7 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight (one day a week)

BY GRANT CRAWFORD

a 12-month period and what phase of the drought contingency plan is in eect. Similarly, businesses may receive a ne ranging from $250-$800. However, nes are not the goal of these measures, Solomon said. “We just want people to be responsible and [water] on the right day,” she said. The department recently conducted a study looking at 25,000 Georgetown water customers over a three-month period. It found nearly 600 Olym- pic-sized pools of water were being used for irrigation on the wrong day. New rules are also in place to educate those with drip irrigation and sprinkler systems. Developers and

Georgetown residents, businesses and developers have new schedules to adhere to when watering their lawns in addition to new rules to follow when installing or maintaining irrigation systems. Both residents and businesses may only water during evening and morning hours regardless of drought conditions. During nondrought con- ditions, Georgetown residents may water two days a week. As of May 10, the city was in Phase 2 of its drought contingency plan, which limits water to one day a week. The fees for watering outside of the scheduled times also changed with the city separating

NEW FEE STRUCTURE

Recent conservation measures approved by Georgetown City Council change the fee structure for watering outside of scheduled hours, separating residents from businesses. Fees are given after one courtesy notication and are based on what phase of the drought contingency plan the city is in and the number of violations in a 12-month period. $50-$650 Residential violations $250-$800 Nonresidential violations

PRACTICING PRESERVATION

installers are now required to provide property owners with instruction on how to use irriga- tion systems and maintain turf along with the city’s water schedule and

Due to ongoing periods of drought, the city of Georgetown has encouraged residents to be good stewards of the city’s water supply and provided the following tips.

“WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE RESPONSIBLE

residential pen- alties from nes imposed on devel- opers, builders and homeowners associations. Meanwhile, irrigation installers

ANDWATER ON THE RIGHT DAY.” CHELSEA SOLOMON, DIRECTOR OF WATER UTILITIES

Keep taller grass to protect the ground underneath and maintain moisture.

Only water when needed.

Ensure sprinkler heads are always aimed at turf/ planted areas.

Use a broom to clean patios, decks and sidewalks.

and HOAs will be required to have inspections done on their systems. These new measures are part of the city’s larger eorts to proactively address water capacity concerns and refresh its conservation ordinances, which Director of Water Utilities Chelsea Solomon said hadn’t been done in years. “Our standard is two days a week, but we allowed watering anytime a day,” she said. “So that’s not really being very responsible.” Education before enforcement The city has a few ways to enforce its watering rules, including an online form for the public to report a violation. City sta may witness a violation; however, the utilities department also has an automatic metering infrastructure system it can use to see when people are watering outside of their allotted hours. When a violation occurs, the city will provide property owners with a courtesy notice on the rst occurrence. Subsequent violations can result in nes for residents ranging from $50-$650, depending on the number of infractions within

a copy of the design plan. HOAs and commercial properties must also have systems inspected every two years. Conservation through regulation Georgetown City Council approved the ordinance changes at its April 11 meeting following several discussions. Throughout the process, council members discussed whether the city should motivate public conservation eorts through increasing rates or regulations. District 7 Council Member Ben Stewart said at the April 11 meeting he was supportive of the city taking steps to preserve resources but was the one dissenting vote, favoring a stricter rate structure rather than tighter outdoor watering schedules. “My concern is the citizens have paid for the ability to treat water and consume water like this,” he said. “Now we’re saying outside of any kind of condition that would really need us to kind of restrict usage, we’re going to apply more regulation on top of this.” The recent ordinance changes apply only to in-city customers for now, but the ultimate goal is to

Use a bucket of soapy water or have a nozzle attachment on hoses when washing vehicles.

Turn o irrigation systems when rain is forecasted.

SOURCE: CITY OF GEORGETOWNCOMMUNITY IMPACT

update customer service agreements across Georgetown’s extraterritorial jurisdiction so all Georgetown Util- ities users are treated consistently, city sta said. District 4 Council Member Ron Garland said if the city can properly educate the public about its eorts to limit water usage, it would ease concerns about both its available drinking water and the new watering schedules. “I think the time frame on water- ing is just one of those things that most people will say, ‘That makes sense,’” he said. According to city sta, increased water conservation measures are something the Texas Water Develop- ment Board would like to see when looking to allocate state funding in

the future. The city is also required to provide the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality with a conservation report every ve years. Around 90% of the city’s water supply comes from Lake George- town and Lake Stillhouse—the elevations of which drop during the summer months. Solomon pointed to other states, such as California, where reservoir levels have signi- cantly declined and said George- town needs to ensure it doesn’t end up in the same boat. “All of our eggs are in the surface water basket,” she said. “So we need to learn from other people’s situa- tions and just kind of make sure that we don’t repeat them and that we do the best we can to be e¥cient and responsible with what we have.”

GEORGETOWN EDITION • MAY 2023