Georgetown City Council is considering plans to conserve water to ensure the city will continue to have an adequate supply.

Georgetown Utility Services officials Jim Briggs, general manager for utilities, and Kathy Ragsdale, conservation services manager, presented their proposals during a Jan. 8 workshop.

The changes would affect the city's Water Conservation Plan and the Drought Contingency Plan, and make them interdependent.

The city's current three-day-a-week irrigation schedule typically enacted during the first stage of a drought could become the year-round standard if the proposed changes are approved.

The plan would also change enforcement for excessive water usage from a municipal violation to an administrative penalty. Currently, when a customer gets a violation for excessive water usage, it goes through the court system. By making it an administrative penalty, the customer could first choose to attend a conservation class or a receive a fine. A second violation could result in a fine, and repeat violators could be taken to court.

Other changes include lowering water rates for customers in the smallest category of usage and simplifying the tiered rate system from five categories to three.

The rate would decrease for customers who use up to 12,999 gallons per cycle to $1.95 per 1,000 gallons from $2.25 per 1,000 gallons. Customers who use 13,000 to 24,999 gallons of water would be charged $3.50 per 1,000 gallons.

"Anything over that is really excessive irrigation, and you will pay $7.50 [per 1,000 gallons] for that," said Ragsdale of customers using 25,000 gallons of water or more.

Officials also want to offer landscape incentives and focus on education, including encouraging the use of native landscaping.

Briggs said he hoped to have the proposed changes to City Council on Jan. 22. A second reading of the ordinance could be held Feb. 5.

"We'll want to go ahead with whatever changes we have as we get ready to go into this summer," Briggs said.

Councilman Jerry Hammerlun said at the meeting that the city needs to be a good example for its residents.

"We've got to do a lot more," he said. "We've got to get more active."