Stage 2 water restrictions were implemented Aug. 7, Director of Public Works Michael Garza said during the Aug. 22 meeting, after demand met Coppell’s daily intake of 18.5 million gallons from the Dallas Water Utilities, the city’s water provider.
The gist
Garza said the city used two factors to gauge whether it needed to enact Stage 2 water restrictions: water demand exceeding 90% of 18.5 million gallons per day for five consecutive days and when ground storage reservoirs are unable to recover for two consecutive days. Garza showed a presentation to the Coppell City Council that showed at least 18 million gallons per day consumption between July 31 and Aug. 7.
“Our conservation plan plays a vital role in maintaining a responsible approach to water usage,” Garza said. “This plan outlines specific triggers that guide us in determining when to initiate different stages of conservation.”
Since the city enacted the Stage 2 water restrictions, Garza said daily water usage has lowered.
Quote of note
“As long as we continue to abide by the Stage 2 [water restrictions], we should stay relatively level between 16 million and 18 million [gallons per day],” Garza said.
Dig deeper
In the event the city needed to purchase more water from the Dallas Water Utilities, Garza said Coppell’s wholesale water rate would increase. Additionally, he added that not implementing the water restrictions would have necessitated an increase in the city’s daily water intake.
The city is also in the process of reviewing its utility rates for both water and wastewater services, based on information in the city’s budget.
