Stage 3 water restrictions may be coming (San Antonio, Austin: city hall, landscaping, contractors)

[Weatherguy]

Heard on the news today that Austin may implement Stage 3 watering restrictions soon, as the Highland Lakes continue to fall. Depending on the source, this could mean hand watering only on specific days, or no outside watering at all (I'm trying to get clarification).

Interestingly, Austin city officials are concerned that LCRA's water availability projections get worse every time they do an update. I thought LCRA had been looking at worst-case projections all along. What gives, LCRA?

So when do the rice farmers get cut off?

[Trainwreck20]

Rice farmers are essentially already cut off, starting with the next growing season.

Starting about the end of this month, I stop watering anyway until spring, so restricting watering use isn't a big deal to me now.

[CptnRn]

See this thread from 8 days ago. https://www.city-data.com/forum/austi...trictions.html

[mickey65]

I still think piping in water from states prone to flooding would be a good idea - or even a pipe-line from the gulf of desalinated water would be a good idea too.

Guess the officials will think of "something" finally once we all get to dire straits...

[pjoseph2]

Actually, the mayor steamrolled through the citizens to construct WTP4. There was one council meeting where i counted 24 citizens speaking against the project and not a single one in favor. It got very emotional at the end but the mayor brushed it off saying it is too late to change his mind. He probably could care less after his potential second term.

A $1.2 B debt that we will be paying for the next 30 years. Water use projections do not come anywhere close to the need for a new treatment plant. A project that is cloaked in secrecy and juices up city hall, the contractors and the banking cartel.

And now he is a bit worried that there will be no water available to treat. If you are not outraged yet, you have not been paying attention.

[eepstein]

That's completely rediculous. Cities like Phoenix, Tuscon, Las Vegas, and El Paso all seem to be able to provide their residents with water (mostly for household uses, but certainly outdoor as well). Austin's climate is continuing to get drier and drier and will soon be very similar to these other cities. How about taking these other cities LEADS and stop enforcing rediculous restrictions on people because you can't figure out a decent water source. Oh, and one other thing. Until the Highland Lakes are COMPLETELY dry, i really wouldn't take any of this too seriously.

Originally Posted by Weatherguy

Heard on the news today that Austin may implement Stage 3 watering restrictions soon, as the Highland Lakes continue to fall. Depending on the source, this could mean hand watering only on specific days, or no outside watering at all (I'm trying to get clarification).

Interestingly, Austin city officials are concerned that LCRA's water availability projections get worse every time they do an update. I thought LCRA had been looking at worst-case projections all along. What gives, LCRA?

So when do the rice farmers get cut off?

[spelrod]

Originally Posted by eepstein

That's completely rediculous.

Your spelling is ridiculous.

[CptnRn]

This article that was in yesterday's paper indicates that the Austin city council is considering revising the stage 3 water restrictions.

Austin might ban most watering -- with severe results
Its Stage 3 water restrictions were created to deal with short-term and catastrophic circumstances, such as a treatment plant failing, said Greg Meszaros, director of the Austin Water Utility. "Stage 3 has never been intended to be a long-term drought management response," he said. The council gave its blessing Tuesday to begin a communitywide discussion about how exactly to address an increasingly pinched water supply.Meszaros said the utility's goal is to craft new rules that would deal with "a drought that's expected to deepen and persist into the future" while prioritizing which customers should be allowed to keep watering and under what circumstances. He said the city would try to find ways around the worst consequences, such as damage to the urban tree canopy.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by eepstein

That's completely rediculous. Cities like Phoenix, Tuscon, Las Vegas, and El Paso all seem to be able to provide their residents with water (mostly for household uses, but certainly outdoor as well). Austin's climate is continuing to get drier and drier and will soon be very similar to these other cities. How about taking these other cities LEADS and stop enforcing rediculous restrictions on people because you can't figure out a decent water source. Oh, and one other thing. Until the Highland Lakes are COMPLETELY dry, i really wouldn't take any of this too seriously.

As is not surprising that your comments are grossly in disregard of the facts. We can pretty much count on that from you. Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and El Paso all have primarily desert landscaping, because it rarely ever rains there. They also pump a substantial amount of their water out of the local underground aquifers, which are running out. If we did the same we would be in just as bad a shape as San Antonio. The only part of Texas that normally receives a low enough annual rainfall to be considered desert is over near El Paso.

El Paso sits on top of two huge underground water aquifers, in addition to receiving surface water via the Rio Grande River from as far north as Colorado. Its water situation is entirely different from Austin's. But they have still implemented watering restrictions every summer for the last several years.

Las Vegas is having huge water shortage problems.

Two simple facts about Las Vegas: Its population has doubled since 1990, to 570,000; and 90 percent of its water comes from the Colorado River, which is in the throes of the worst drought in recorded history.
Read more: Las Vegas Tries to Prevent a Water Shortage - Popular Mechanics

Phoenix and Tucson (not Tuscon) have huge water supply problems.

Phoenix Water Deficit (http://www.columbia.edu/%7Ekk2534/Phoenix%20Water/ - broken link)
Supply and demand of water has always been a concern in Phoenix, Arizona. Thus far, the state has avoided a water shortage of catastrophic proportions, and water use has been sufficient for the population's daily water needs. But with a growing population, a dwindling water supply, over a decade of drought, and the added perils of global warming, the pressure to solve the water issue grows stronger each year. Not only has Phoenix emphasized stringent city plans, but also the people have been strongly encouraged to take personal initiative to conserve their daily water usage.

8. Tucson, Ariz. | 10 Biggest American Cities Running Out of Water | Comcast.net
The NRDC study rates Pima county, Arizona, where Tucson is located, as an area with extreme risk of water shortage. The city is in the Sonoran desert, an extremely arid region which receives less than 12 inches of rainfall each year.