As a result, more residents are crossing the 30,000 gallons-per-month threshold, the rate for which was increased late last year.
However, July is the first month in which those residents have noticed a significant difference in their bills, Public Works Director Gerald Cosgrove said.
Plano's residential water rate schedule is broken up by gallons used. The more water used, the higher the rate a resident will pay.[/caption]“People are definitely using more; typical usage in the summer can be two to three times as much,” he said. “It has a lot to do with how much water landscaping they’re doing.”
Residential customers in this upper tier who were paying $5.03 per 1,000 gallons are now paying $7.50 per 1,000 gallons. Although the increase was implemented late last year, most have not noticed the change until recently due to the hotter and drier weather, Cosgrove said.
While the idea of a household exceeding the 30,000 mark may seem excessive on paper, it can easily become a reality for homeowners with larger yards, Cosgrove said.
“This month has been very dry; we haven’t had much rainfall this month,” he said. “It probably is not out of the realm of possibility.”
Currently, residents are allowed to water twice a week if needed in Plano, the guidelines for which are reflective of the North Texas Municipal Water District’s water conservation plan that was enacted in May. Watering with sprinklers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. is still prohibited in Plano, and watering on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday is not allowed.
City officials are urging residents to subscribe to receive weekly watering recommendations at www.watermyyard.org, a resource provided by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
