BY KATY MCAFEE
Drought stages Drought restrictions in Round Rock are based on the water supply, demand and capacity of water treatment plants; wholesale suppliers; and public health, safety and wellness triggers. Outdoor watering is allowed on two designated days before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Stage 1 * Outdoor watering is allowed on one designated day before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Stage 2 Only handheld watering is allowed. Stage 3
The action taken
Outdoor watering schedule
Stage 1: Twice per week
Stage 2: Once per week
Round Rock has a robust water conservation program, Thane said, which offers free irrigation audits and rainwater rebates. The city also uses purple pipe water—treated wastewater that would normally discharge into Brushy Creek but instead can be reused for irrigation and cooling. Many golf courses, parks and other entities—including the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions water park— now use purple pipe water. Thane said Round Rock didn’t get “real serious” about water conser- vation until 2009, when the district implemented a tiered rate system and began educational outreach.
Address ends in
0
Mondays/Thursdays
Thursdays
1
Wednesdays/Saturdays
Wednesdays
2
Tuesdays/Fridays
Tuesdays
3
Mondays/Thursdays
Mondays
4 or 8
Sundays/Thursdays
Sundays
5 or 9
Wednesdays/Saturdays
Saturdays
6 or 7
Tuesdays/Fridays
Fridays
* CURRENT STAGE AS OF AUG. 25 SOURCE: CITY OF ROUND ROCK/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Regional water solutions To secure future water supplies,
Individual solutions Lawn care services company Emerald Lawns Marketing Director Kristen Parkhurst offered several tips on how residents can preserve their lawns and conserve water.
What’s next?
Williamson County leaders are seeking to reserve water from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer about 50 miles east of the Austin area. The plan would require millions of dollars, a permit from the groundwater conservation district and easements.
Central Texas will need to see weeks of heavy rainfall, specifically near Fredericksburg to refill water basins, to end drought conditions, said Aaron Abel, water services manager for the Brazos River Authority. “That’s what we’re hoping for, but in the meantime, we’ve got to do what we can to extend the last of the water supply in these reservoirs, and that’s by enacting our drought contingency plans and trying to reduce water use,” Abel said.
Plant native grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia.
Aerate soil to loosen compact soil, which restricts root growth. Consider xeriscaping, a landscaping process that requires little irrigation by utilizing succulents, mulch and other drought-tolerant plants. Utilize top dressing, which adds nutrients back into soil after it's been depleted by the sun.
"[The Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer] is the future water for Williamson County if I was betting." MICHAEL THANE, ROUND ROCK UTILITIES DIRECTOR
SOURCES: CITY OF ROUND ROCK, EMERALD LAWNS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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