Officials with the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District said despite the arrival of fall, the drought continues, and water conservation continues to be a key strategy across South Texas.

The background

In a news release, TGRGCD General Manager Amanda Maloukis said some of her agency’s monitoring wells in north Bexar County recently reached near- or all-time-low levels.

Maloukis said in the release that in spite of some rainfall in the San Antonio area in late September and early October, it is not the type of steady rain that is needed to counter some of the effects of the drought.

Maloukis urged residents within the TGRGCD to watch their water use more closely, regardless of whether they are a water utility customer or operate from their own water well.

Dig deeper

Maloukis said the TGRGCD is still in Stage 2 of its drought restrictions plan, but the district has not ruled out moving to Stage 3 if monitoring well levels keep dropping, according to the release.

Maloukis said in the release Stage 3 is the TGRGCD’s highest drought stage, which would move watering with automatic sprinkler systems to once every two weeks and handheld hose watering to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 7-11 a.m. or 7-11 p.m.

Under State 2 restrictions, irrigation system and sprinkler use is allowed once a week between 7-11 a.m. or 7-11 p.m. on the designated watering day determined by the last digit of a resident’s address.

What they’re saying

Maloukis said in the release her agency continues to educate north Bexar County homeowners, business owners, industrial users and developers on the importance of conservation.

“With temperatures not quite so brutal and the fact that we are nearing cooler weather this fall, homeowners should consider not using automatic sprinklers and watering by hand if at all possible. That will definitely save large amounts of water which will benefit the Trinity Aquifer,” Maloukis said in a statement.