Amidst Well Outage/Drought, LG Urges Water Conservation

As everyone is aware, we are currently experiencing a dry period that is normal for this time of year. Normally our water production capacity is 1,400,000 gallons per day. The triggering criteria for mild drought conditions according to our Drought Contingency plan is 90 percent of our production capacity, or 1,260,000 gallons per day. We currently have one well that is out of service. Our daily water usage for the past three days has been 1,057,000 gallons per day. We are asking all La Grange Utility water customers to look for ways to voluntarily reduce their water use.

During the summer months, lawn watering and other outdoor uses can account for 50 to 80 percent of home water use. Yet, studies have shown that as much as half of this outdoor use is wasted through poor watering practices.

When watering lawns, we recommend that you water no more than every other day at most and between the hours of 6-10 am or 8-10 p.m. By doing this, you lose the least amount of water to evaporation and your grass will get the best soaking. Most grasses will take on a dull, dark appearance and leaves begin to roll when they need water. The best time to water is early morning. Other outdoor water saving tips are:

• Use low angle sprinklers that produce droplets of water.

• Don’t cut grass too short.

• Don’t water on windy days.

• Set sprinklers so the lawn is watered, not sidewalks and driveways.

• Choose water-wise plants.

• Wash cars with a bucket and a hose with a shut off nozzle.

• Use a broom rather than a hose to sweep walks and driveways.

Citizens using the abovementioned guidelines can conserve a great amount of water. Pamphlets on “Water Conserving Tips” are available at City Hall and through the Texas Water Development Board website: http://www. twdb.texas.gov/publications/ brochures/conservation/doc/ WaterConservingTips.pdf