A new drought contingency plan takes effect April 1 for Fair Oaks Ranch residents, bringing the city in line with the four-stage drought plans of surrounding cities and water sources.
The city adds a third stage next week, which includes a watering restriction for residents prior to now-Stage Four’s total ban on all non-essential water usage.
“We have three stages right now with various levels of conservation measures and restrictions and surcharges associated with that,” City Manager Scott Huizenga said. “We are going from three to four, so it better aligns with our neighboring communities and suppliers of water we have now.” Currently, the next stage after Stage Two is basic no watering, Mayor Greg Maxton said.
“Right now, we’re at once a week (watering) in Stage Two,” Maxton said. “When we’d go to Stage Three, it’s no landscape water. The introduction of this (new Stage Three) goes to every other week, before we get to just a flat-out prohibition stage.”
“We thought we needed more of a middle ground transition between our current two and three,” Huizenga added.
For the new Stage Three drought conditions to go into effect, two of three conditions must take place: — The city’s water well is equal to or less than 1,025 feet for eight consecutive days.
— The water system’s average daily consumption of Trinity Aquifer groundwater for the same eight days exceeds 700,000 gallons per day.
— Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority or Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District implement Stage Three water reduction requirements of their drought contingency plan.
When that happens, the new Fair Oaks Ranch Stage Three will limit watering through an irrigation system to once every other week.
Watering with drip irrigation is allowed every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Water-waters like power washing sidewalks, driveways, pavement, the outside of buildings or other impervious surfaces is prohibited.
On April 1, the city’s current Stage Three becomes Stage Four, which will restrict all nonessential watering, including all landscape watering through irrigation and sprinklers. No new irrigation (except for newly built homes) and swimming pool permits will be issued.
In Stage Four, however, residents may still hand water by hose, and watering with drip irrigation is allowed once a week, as determined by the year-round watering day schedule.
Conditions for Stage Four to occur remain the same: — Test well averages less than or equal to 1,020 feet.
— Water system’s normal production of 1.2 million gallons per day of Trinity Aquifer groundwater cannot be maintained for seven consecutive days.
— GBRA or Trinity Glen Rose GCD implements Stage Four of their own drought contingency plan.
In May 2023, the City Council amended its Drought Contingency Plan to include updated triggers, drought surcharges and a drought surcharge appeal process.
Since the amendments were adopted, the prolonged drought has continued and several surrounding entities, including the city’s triggers — GBRA and Trinity Glen Rose GCD — have also implemented Drought Contingency Plan updates.
City Council reviewed and adopted updates to the Drought Contingency Plan at its Feb. 6 council meeting but delayed enforcement until April 1 to allow ample time to get the message out to Fair Oaks Ranch utility customers.
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