While much of North Texas has received 3 to 4 inches of rain, water restrictions will remain in place in the North Texas Municipal Water District.
The district is under enhanced Stage 3 water restrictions, meaning customers can water their lawns only twice per month. The restrictions, which were extended in January, are in place through May 31.
“We will remain in some form of drought restrictions," NTMWD spokeswoman Denise Hickey said. "While we're not in a drought, it's a water supply issue at this point."
Lake levels have gone up considerably since June. For example, Lake Lavon went from being down about 10 feet back in December to down about 3 feet in mid-March.
But 28 percent of the water supply remains stuck at Lake Texoma, unable to be pumped because of an infestation of zebra mussels.
Under federal law, invasive species such as the zebra mussels cannot be transferred from one state to another, preventing water from being pumped from Oklahoma to Texas.
The NTMWD is hoping for permission to extend a pipeline to directly transfer the water to the treatment plant in Wylie, where the mussels would be eradicated from the water.
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But until that happens, the district has to make do without that supply.
If there continues to be more rain and lake levels rise, restrictions could go from enhanced Stage 3, to standard Stage 3, which would allow lawn watering every week through October.
