Toughest Water Restrictions Could Be Implemented Next Year

Residents could be banned from watering lawns

The New Year could mean some serious changes in the way many people in the Metroplex use water. The North Texas Municipal Water District could impose its toughest water restriction in the new year -- Stage 4.

Should Stage 4 be put into play, more than a million people in member cities would be banned from watering their lawns, washing their cars, and filling new swimming pools -- among other restrictions.

In Garland, it’s a major concern for resident Charlotte Piercy, who has lived in her neighborhood for 56 years. Piercy already hates her grass looking brown because of the Winter, but she fears, come the spring, it won’t get green again.

"I would hate to see us go to that stage,” said Piercy. “The neighborhood would start looking like grasslands, like dried up prairie lands."

The district’s board will be meeting Jan. 26 to discuss the restrictions which could go into effect as early as April 1.

Rhode’s Nursery and Nature Store has been feeling the effects since all the restrictions started.

"I think it would effect everyone in one way or another,” said Greg Rhode, owner of the nursery. "It is dropping our sales, we're not making the money we made the year before last. There have been so many problems," said Rhode.

The North Texas Municipal Water District has been hit hard this year with the extreme drought. They also lost a water source from Lake Taxoma since due to a zebra mussel infestation. Additionally, Garland and Mesquite’s main water source, Lake Lavon, is about half empty at 52 percent. To top it off, the district's share of Lake Jim Chapman will be finished next month with no new rainfall.

Member cities have already been under Stage 3 water restrictions since Nov. 1.

The NTMWD serves Allen, Farmersville, Forney, Frisco, Garland, McKinney, Mesquite, Plano, Princeton, Richardson, Rockwall, Royse City and Wylie, as well as a number of North Texas towns.

Visit www.ntmwd.com to learn more about the restrictions.

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