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Drastic Water Restrictions Possible For Some North Texans

Nick Perla (cc) flickr

It looks like the drought is here to stay. KERA’s Jacqueline Fellows says as many as 50 cities and towns across North Texas may not be able to water lawns at all this summer.

The North Texas Municipal Water District says it may have to go to Stage 4 water restrictions by April 1st. The Water District includes parts of Dallas, Collin and Kaufman counties.

Residents are already under Stage 3 restrictions which limits outdoor watering to once a week. Going to Stage 4 means potentially no watering at all, as well as no new swimming pool construction.

Mike Rickman is the Deputy Director of the North Texas Water Municipal District. He says officials were planning on waiting to go to Stage 4 restrictions until summer. That’s when Lake Lavon levels were projected to go down to 475 feet, but he says that may be too late.

Rickman: Some of the thought processes that we’ve had is does that make sense to wait that long if we’re really that in need of water? The other thing that we’re looking at does it make sense for us to say not do anything prior to that and allow our consumers to go in and plant their outdoor plantings and then tell them a month or two later oh, by the way you can’t water them.

Residents would be allowed to hand water their home’s foundation.

Rickman says there is likely to be a decision on whether to go to Stage 4 restrictions next month.

Former KERA reporter BJ Austin spent more than 25 years in broadcast journalism, anchoring and reporting in Atlanta, New York, New Orleans and Dallas. Along the way, she covered Atlanta City Hall, the Georgia Legislature and the corruption trials of Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards.