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Celina entered Stage 2 of its Water Conservation Plan on July 2, according to a city news release.
Stage 2 includes temporary restrictions on irrigation, recreational water use and landscaping for Celina residents, per the city’s website.
The restrictions are intended “to help preserve the resources needed to support our growing community throughout the summer months,” according to the release.
What you need to know
Under Stage 2, Celina residents are only permitted to water their lawns once a week, and watering is prohibited between 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Residents are asked to water their lawns based on the last digit of their address.
Hand-held hoses, drip irrigation or soaker hoses can be used on landscaped areas or building foundations for up to two hours daily.
Water-based activities that can create waste, like washing cars or running lawn fountains, are also prohibited under Stage 2.
The city will not issue any new pool permits during Stage 2, and residents cannot put down new sod or plants, although new developments may qualify for a one-time landscaping exception.
How we got here
According to the city’s Drought Contingency Plan, Stage 2 restrictions are triggered when supply levels at key water sources fall or demand begins to approach capacity.
The release did not specify what triggered the move into Stage 2, although the Upper Trinity Regional Water District, which supplies Celina’s water, does not appear to have issued a broader Stage 2 warning, according to the UTRWD website.
Despite 3.55 inches of rain July 7, the heaviest rain on that day since 1989, the past month has been hotter than normal, according to data from the National Weather Service.
The NWS calculates “normal” high and low temperatures based on a 30-year average.
In June, daily high temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth area exceeded the NWS’s normal temperature for 24 out of 30 days, and the daily low temperature exceeded the normal for 26 days, per the NWS.
Zooming out
Stage 2 is the second-highest of three water conservation levels laid out in the city’s drought contingency plan.
Last year, Celina operated under Stage 2 water restrictions from Aug. 23 to Oct. 1, when it transitioned to lighter Stage 1 restrictions, according to the city’s social media.
The city remained under Stage 1 restrictions, which call for a voluntary reduction of landscape watering to two days a week, until switching to Stage 2 on July 2.
Additional water supply will help align Celina’s capacity with its growing population once Lake Ralph Hall, a lake UTRWD is building in Fannin County, becomes operational, according to previous reporting.
Lake Ralph Hall is expected to begin limited water delivery later this year and be fully operational by 2027, according to the project website.
