The city of Richardson will implement Stage 2 water conservation measures beginning Friday, Aug. 19, at the request of the North Texas Municipal Water District.
Under Stage 2, the city will accelerate efforts to reduce water use by no less than 5 percent, and urge residents to continue to conserve water. To this end, residents are restricted from watering their lawns between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. until Sept. 30 on certain days, based on their address.
If you know your address and the difference between odd or even numbers, Richardson makes it easy to figure out when you're allowed to water. Residents whose address ends in an odd number can water on odd-numbered dates. Those whose residences end in even numbers water on even dates. So, if you live at 123 Main Street, you can water on Aug. 3, 5, 7, etc.
If you live at 123 Main and water on Aug. 4, or any other even date, you could face a $2,000 fine for failing to follow water conservation measures.
"We're working closely with the North Texas Municipal Water District to help it achieve its and our water conservation goals," said Richardson director of public services Jerry Ortega. "We don't know how long this drought period will last, so it is critical for all to do our part and conserve water. Since Richardson's Stage 1 water conservation efforts were put into effect April 19, 2011, we have seen a favorable reduction in water usage by our citizens. We need to continue this effective water usage trend."
When irrigating, residents should avoid water runoff onto impervious surfaces (roads, driveways) and while washing your car you can only do so with a hand-held hose with a shutoff nozzle. There are more restrictions for pool owners or those installing new yards or irrigation systems. Get more info on that here.
Also, watering lawns and outdoor vegetation during significant precipitation is prohibited. But don't worry, significant precipitation isn't expected anytime soon.
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Richardson purchases water from the North Texas Municipal Water District, who implemented Stage 2 restrictions on Aug. 1. The implementation of this plan is due largely to the temporary loss of Lake Texoma as a raw water supply due to the invasive zebra mussel infestation.
The NTMWD provides water to Allen, Forney, Frisco, Garland, Plano, Mesquite and dozens of other cities in Dallas, Collin, Rockwall, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains and Hopkins counties. See a complete list here -- as you're all under Stage 2 restrictions now.
More information and tips on water conservation can be found on the Richardson's Water Conservation website available on the city's homepage at www.cor.net.
