The Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District (CTGCD) board recently decided to continue Stage 3 “severe drought” groundwater use conditions.
Stage 3 groundwater recommendations will continue until further notice, the board decided during its Oct. 15 meeting.
Recent rainfall in Burnet County is 4 to 8 inches below normal, CTGCD General Manager Mitchell Sodek told the board.
“We saw below average rainfall during September and there is zero rain for October so far,” Sodek said. “The rest of October does not look good.”
If the "rainfall deficit" persists, the board may be required to hold a public hearing to propose mandatory groundwater use restrictions before the end of 2024, Sodek added.
Stage 3 practices aim to reduce groundwater use by 20%. It stipulates outdoor lawn and landscape watering should be done between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Also, watering of landscapes and lawns is lim- ited to once every five to seven days.
Also, Stage 3 discourages groundwater supply to lakes, ponds, swimming pools or other “surface impoundments” for holding water that have a total capacity of more than 100,000 gallons and total capacity less than 100,000 gallons is discouraged.
Other Stage 3 recommendations include:
• Washing vehicles only at a car wash when needed; • Covering fountains, landscape ponds and swimming pools to prevent evaporation;
• Do not use water to wash driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, streets, tennis courts and other outdoor surfaces, except for animal or human health and safety or fire hazard prevention;
• Watering for dust control only as required by law;
• Watering livestock in leak-proof troughs; and
• Whenever possible, re-circulate, re-use water and monitor all water outlets for leaks and repair them.
Also during the Oct. 15 meeting, the board decided to schedule soon a show cause hearing related to Whitewater Springs Water Supply Corporation for its failure to obtain a permit from the district as it operated and produced groundwater from its No.
8740 well – also known as Well No. 5 – between April and June last year.
According to officials, the well is “non-exempt” from district regulations, because it could produce more than 25,000 gallons per one 24-hour period.
“The well is permitted now,” Sodek said. “They (Whitewater Springs) are compliant.”
