Temple area residents can start conserving water without too much of a change in routines.
Temple City Manager David Blackburn said the city’s water conservation plan is intended to help residents save money and preserve a limited and valuable resource.
Since June 1, Temple residents have been in Stage 1 of water conservation.
A leaflet available from the city says that at Stage 1 citizens are asked to “practice water conservation and minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.”
Voluntarily limit irrigation of landscaped areas to two days a week between midnight and 10 a.m., or 8 p.m. until midnight on the designated days - Sundays and Thursdays for houses ending in even numbers, and Saturdays and Wednesdays for customers in odd numbered houses.
Stage 2 turns voluntary restrictions into mandatory restrictions.
Citizens must limit irrigation of landscaped areas with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems to the two days a week described in Stage 1.
Add to that a change in how we wash our motor vehicles. They must be washed on the designated watering days.
“Such washing, when allowed, shall be done with a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle for quick rinses.”
The leaflet explains that washing a vehicle on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash or service station may be done at any time. Garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport perishables are exempt.
Filling or refilling pools is only allowed on your designated watering days, as is the watering of golf courses, “unless the course utilizes a water source other than those provided by the City of Temple.”
Fountains can only operate if they are supporting aquatic life. Hard surfaces like tennis courts and driveways, flushing gutters or using water for dust control is not allowed except for fire prevention.
The city says that at this stage restaurants are prohibited from serving water, except by request.
All Stage 2 restrictions must be followed in Stage 3 … and then some.
At Stage 3, irrigation of landscaped areas must be by means of handheld hoses, hand-held buckets, and drip irrigation or permanently installed automatic sprinkler systems only. The days and times of irrigation are the same; however, hose-end sprinklers are prohibited.
The use of water for construction purposes from fire hydrants is not allowed.
When Stage 4 of the mandatory water conservation stage is reached, Stage 2 and 3 restrictions are followed; also banned is the use of hose-end sprinklers or permanently installed automatic sprinklers.
“Washing of vehicles not occurring on the premises of a commercial car wash or commercial service station and not in the immediate interest of public health, safety and welfare is prohibited.”
Commercial car washes can only be used between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.
In Stage 4 filling, refilling or adding to a pool is prohibited.
Stage 5 is the “emergency water shortage, essential water usage only” stage.
All restrictions mentioned in stages 2, 3 and 4 must be followed. Irrigation of landscaped areas is absolutely prohibited, as is the use of water to wash any vehicle. In this stage water-rationing measures may be instituted: 8,000 gallons per month for single family residents (surcharges apply).
Most of Temple is in Stage 1 at the moment, except the area west of Texas 317, which was placed in Stage 5 on Friday afternoon. City officials will review that area on Monday morning.
