It turns out water conservation was too successful this summer for some cities in the North Texas Municipal Water District.
To help keep water with enough chlorine for safe drinking flowing through the pipes, the district board Thursday approved an emergency measure to relax twice-monthly watering limits.
"Our consumers have really stepped up to the plate and helped us, but we need to move that water through the system to maintain that chlorine residual," said NTMWD spokeswoman Denise Hickey.
The NTMWD serves 1.6 million people in 60 cities and parts of nine North Texas counties.
Plano and other cities have opened fire hydrants to move the proper amount of fresh chlorinated water into neighborhoods' pipes from the treatment plant when old water sat in the pipes too long.
Wasted water rushing down the street is shocking to neighbors who've been told they must conserve.
This summer, milder weather combined with rain further reduced the amount of water being used, on top of the water conservation restrictions.
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"So that combination has helped the district to help our member cities reduce the amount of flushing of the hydrants they have to do to maintain water quality," Hickey said. "And moving back to once-a-week will help move the water in the system to maintain the optimal levels."
The switch is not because the North Texas drought is over. Lavon Lake, the NTMWD primary water source, is still 11 feet low, but it has held steady during the summer.
So the NTMWD is asking customer to use some more water, but not too much. The plan approved Thursday reverts to once a week lawn watering restrictions. District cities are expected to follow with their own watering rules.
