The combined storage level of water in Lakes Travis and Buchanan is currently at 1.409 million acre-feet as of Friday morning and is projected to drop below 1.4 million acre-feet within the next few days. City Manager Spencer Cronk has ordered implementation of Stage 1 water restrictions effective June 6, 2022.
“Our community has embraced water conservation year-round and I’m confident they will step up to this additional restriction” said Interim Water Director Robert Goode. “The only change between Conservation Stage and Stage 1 is the reduction of automatic irrigation watering hours. Watering only in the early morning or late evening hours when temperatures are coolest, will help reduce unnecessary water loss through evaporation and that continues to support Austin’s water conservation efforts.”
Stage 1 Watering Restrictions Summary
- Stage 1 Watering Restrictions reduce the total number of hours available for watering via automatic irrigation systems from 15 hours to 13 hours (Midnight – 8am and 7pm – midnight).
- All other watering restrictions remain unchanged including:
- Once-per-week automatic irrigation watering schedule will continue for residential and commercial water customers.
- Twice-per-week hose-end irrigation watering schedule will continue for residential customers.
- Residents can continue the following irrigation methods without restrictions:
- athletic fields
- drip irrigation
- hand-held watering with a hose
- watering trees with automatic bubblers
- automatic drip irrigation
- soaker hose beneath the tree canopy and in vegetable gardens
- Commercial car washes can operate normally. Residential car washes, and the washing of any outdoor surface, is permitted with a bucket and/or automatic shut-off nozzle.
Commercial customers will be asked to limit the use of patio misters to the hours between 4pm and midnight.
