During this repair period, BCRUA member cities, including Leander and Cedar Park, will have specific outdoor watering restrictions.
Water customers in Cedar Park will be prohibited from using irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers for outdoor watering during the repair period, according to the city’s Sept. 6 press release. These outdoor watering methods are not permitted during the BCRUA repair due to the city of Cedar Park solely relying on its local water treatment plant.
Indoor water use for Cedar Park residents will not be impacted.
Officials in Leander are looking to reduce the city’s water use to nine million gallons per day—or mgd—or lower during the repair period, Executive Director of Infrastructure Dan Grimsbo said at the Sept. 1 council meeting.
Leander’s water use during the first half of August hit 18-19 mgd, according to city documents, but with the consistent rain in the second half of the month, the city’s water use was around 11 mgd.
“If we go back to March, April, we were averaging 8-and-a-half mgd,” Leander City Manager Rick Beverlin said at the Sept. 1 council meeting. “So this is doable, getting to [9 mgd], having this rain that we have and the continued rain.”
The city of Leander is discussing an escalation to Conservation Phase 4, according to city documents. Phase 4 in the city’s Water Conservation Plan requires any or all nonessential uses of water to be restricted.
The city’s biggest focal point is irrigation, Chief of Staff Mike Neu said at the meeting.
“It really sounds easy, ‘Just turn off your sprinklers; don’t irrigate.’ Realistically, we all live in neighborhoods, we’ve seen neighbors that still water,” he said. “We’ll be employing really every tool in the toolbox.”
Leander water customers can report water violations to the city's code enforcement division using an online form. Cedar Park water customers can report water violations online at www.cedarparktexas.gov/report-it or through the city’s hotline: 512-401-5308.
