AUSTIN – Customers of LCRA's West Travis County Regional Water System will be restricted to watering their lawns and landscapes twice a week, effective immediately.
The mandatory schedule, approved by LCRA's Board of Directors at its May 21 meeting, applies to the system's 3,500 retail customers, as well as an additional 4,000 customers served by utilities that get their water from the system, which serves neighborhoods and communities in western Travis and northern Hays counties.
Under the schedule, which will be in effect from May 1 through Sept. 30 each year, customers would be allowed to water their lawns and landscapes on designated days as follows:
- Residential, odd-numbered addresses: Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Residential, even-numbered addresses: Thursdays and Sundays
- Commercial customers: Tuesdays and Fridays
- Watering hours: Midnight to 10 a.m., and 7 p.m. to midnight
The schedule only applies to customers who use automatic irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers. Customers who use a hand-held hose may water their lawns anytime, any day.
"LCRA is implementing this conservation measure to promote efficient water use and to reduce peak demand on its water utility system in order to defer or reduce the need to build additional capacity," said Janet Stephenson, manager of the West Travis County system.
LCRA has encouraged customers to follow the schedule on a voluntary basis for the past few years, but the LCRA Board agreed with a staff recommendation to make the schedule mandatory each year, Stephenson said.
She added that the schedule is the same as one set by the City of Austin water utility, and that other municipal utilities around the state are mandating similar schedules.
Stephenson noted that many customers tend to overwater their landscapes, with some customers watering as frequently as four times a week.
"Twice a week watering is enough to maintain a healthy and appealing landscape," she said.
While LCRA staff will monitor customers' compliance with the schedule, Stephenson said LCRA's goal is not to penalize customers but to encourage wise water use. Customers who need more information can check the "Mandatory Watering Schedule" page on LCRA's Web site at www.lcra.org/wtc. Or they can call LCRA's Customer Service toll-free 1-877-718-4396.
