The Edwards Aquifer Authority on Aug. 19 said it was returning to Stage 3 water pumping limits, less than one week after it declared it was going up to Stage 4 restrictions.

According to a news release, the Comal Springs 10-day average flow was 101 cubic feet per second on Aug. 18, which is above the threshold for EAA’s Stage 4 critical period management.

Under the authority’s Stage 3 rules, Edwards groundwater permit-holders in Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Atascosa, Caldwell, Hays, and Medina counties are to reduce their annual authorized pumping by 35%.

These reductions apply to all Edwards Aquifer groundwater permit holders authorized to pump more than 3 acre-feet annually, the EAA said.

This includes industrial and agricultural users, as well as, water utilities authorized to pump water from the Edwards Aquifer for delivery to its respective customers, the release said.

San Antonio Water System, which relies on the Edwards Aquifer and several other non-Edwards sources to fill out its overall supply, did not comment on the EAA’s return to Stage 3 rules. But SAWS said on Aug. 13 that its customers were staying with the utility’s Stage 2 watering limits.