Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is asking citizens to conserve water as the city moved toward the second stage of its drought contingency plan on Aug. 15. The city warned that the combined storage level of water in Lakes Travis and Buchanan could fall below this week.
"Austin is no stranger to hot, dry summers, but the extreme heat and lack of rain we’ve seen this summer means we all need be very mindful about our water use," Watson said in the Aug. 14 edition of his Watson Wire newsletter.
According to Mayor Watson, on the likelihood the water storage in the Highland Lakes, which provides the state capital with drinking water, of reaching approximately 45% of capacity, the city is prompted to enter the next stage of the plan.
“For many years, Austin has leaned into water conservation in normal weather as well as drought,” Austin Water head Shay Ralls Roalson said in an Aug. 11 press release from the city. “As our current drought continues, we know that the entire Austin community will respond to the need to conserve our most precious resource. We’re all in this together, and there is no substitute for water.”
Under Stage 2, Austinites are required to engage in automatic irrigation and hose-end watering one day a week, not produce water waste, use an auto-shut-off valve or a bucket when washing vehicles at home, and not use large ornamental fountains, according to the release. The city said that restaurants are to serve water upon the customer’s request and are limited to using patio misters between 4 p.m. and midnight.
Per the release, Austin Water warns that it’ll investigate reports of alleged non-compliance with the restrictions fielded from Austin 3-1-1 and water waste patrols. Violators are subject to fines of up to $1,000 per offense, and the city is urging residents to call 3-1-1 or use the 3-1-1 mobile app to report violations.