by WES FERGUSON
Buda residents will be changing when and how they water their lawns, among other things, under a year-round conservation plan approved by the City Council last week.
Buda officials are touting the new plan’s simplicity as they begin to spread word of the changes through neighborhood groups, signs and notices in water bills. They also say the plan is in line with drought contingency programs in neighbor cities such as Austin and San Marcos.
“Our old plan that we had in place was really confusing for people,” said Chance Sparks, the city’s planning director. “People want to conserve water, and if you give them an easy map on how to do it, they’re much more likely to.
“We have to acknowledge we’re in Central Texas, and the water from the sky isn’t always predictable,” he said. “If you go with year-round conservation you can actually try to prevent (more severe restrictions) instead of waiting for it to happen and cry about it.”
Officials have not decided when the new restrictions will be enforced. The city is in Critical Stage Drought under its old drought contingency plan. Some of the changes to year-round conservation include:
• Watering with hose-end sprinklers and automatic sprinkler systems is prohibited between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• When washing a vehicle, individuals must use a hand-held bucket or hose equipped with a shut-off device.
• New buildings must capture and reuse the condensate from air-conditioning systems.
Buda’s new drought contingency and water conservation plan also implements a new twice-per-week outdoor watering schedule when Stage I drought conditions are declared.
During times of Stage I drought, odd-numbered residential addresses may water on Wednesday and Saturday, while even-numbered residences may water on Thursdays and Sundays. Commercial, mixed-use and multifamily addresses may water on Tuesday and Friday.
That schedule does not apply to the irrigation of vegetable gardens or watering with buckets, handheld hoses with shutoff valves, soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems, which are permitted all day, every day.
Another point of clarification in the new plan, according to Sparks, deals with foundation watering on Central Texas soil that is infamous for expanding and contracting along with moisture in the ground.
“Yes, you can maintain your foundation,” Sparks said. “We don’t want foundations cracking everywhere.”
The new plan also includes a bevy of changes for more severe drought restrictions. Acknowledging the connection between drought and wildfires, the city will allow some lawn watering during even the most severe restrictions.
“If you stop all irrigation, you start creating a fire risk,” Sparks said. “Somewhere in the middle is where we need to be.”
Unanimously approved at last Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the ordinance was awaiting Mayor Sarah Mangham’s signature. Mangham did not return a phone call seeking comment.
