“Our normal peak season for water demand ends in August, but we continue to see high water demand and are forecasted to have triple-digit weather into September,” City Manager David Morgan said in the Aug. 31 news release. “Given the severity of the drought and continued, high water usage, it isn’t safe for our water supply to bring the western area out of Stage 3 at this time.”
What you need to know
Under Stage 3 drought restrictions, watering with a hose-end sprinkler or an irrigation system is prohibited. Hand-watering of lawns, plants, trees and more is still allowed during any time of the day.
Water customers mainly in the areas west of D.B. Wood Road and southwest of Williams Drive will remain under Stage 3 restrictions, according to the release. These customers include but are not limited to:
- West of Southwest Bypass
- Santa Rita Ranch
- Liberty Hill’s extraterritorial jurisdiction
- Parkside on the River
- Parmer Ranch
- Water Oak At San Gabriel
A closer look
Georgetown officials are still working with Leander officials to pull more water and complete the rehabilitation of the Southside Water Treatment Plant, according to the release.
An operational pump to pull additional water from the connection in Leander along with regulatory testing at the plant is scheduled for mid-September, according to the release. Afterward, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will have up to 60 days to evaluate the results and clear the plant for water delivery to customers.
Georgetown officials are working to reduce the TCEQ’s timeline. Officials are expediting both projects as well as continuing to monitor the drought and weather conditions with hopes to lift Stage 3 restrictions as soon as possible.
“We appreciate everyone who has followed our water restrictions, so we can continue to provide safe drinking water for all our customers,” Morgan said in the release. “We are pushing to bring on additional capacity and lift the restrictions as soon as possible.”
