Drought Contingency Plan
The purpose of the Drought Contingency Plan ("Plan") is to conserve and protect the available water supply for domestic water use, sanitation, and fire protection, and to minimize the impact of water shortages during emergency conditions.
Public Education
The City will provide the public with information about the Plan, including information about the conditions under which each stage of the Plan is initiated, the drought response measures to be implemented, and the conditions necessary for termination. The information will be provided through press release and utility bill inserts and/or the City's website.
Coordination
The service area of the City of Georgetown is located within the Brazos Region (G) and the City of Georgetown has provided a copy of this Plan to the Brazos River Authority.
Authorization
The City Manager, or his/her designee, is hereby authorized and directed to implement the applicable provisions of the Plan upon his/her determination that such implementation is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.
Application
The provisions of this Plan shall apply to all persons, customers, and property utilizing water provided by the City, except those wholesale water utility customers where a similar Plan exists for their retail customers.
Definitions
•ACM - Assistant City Manager for Utility Operations for the City of Georgetown, or the person otherwise authorized by the City Manager to have the duties and responsibilities under this Chapter.
•Conservation - those practices and techniques that reduce the consumption of water through increased efficiency, reduced losses, or reuse which results in conservation of the water supply for future use.
•Customer - any person, company, organization or entity that uses water supplied by the City, except customers that obtain water under a wholesale agreement and that have a Drought Contingency Plan for their customers.
•Notice - notification by press release or utility bill insert for the implementation of specific phases of this Plan by the City Manager through the news media (local newspaper and radio station) and the City's official bulletin board and web site.
•Industrial water use - water used in a manufacturing process.
•Landscape irrigation use - potable water used for the irrigation and maintenance of landscaped areas, including residential and commercial lawns, gardens, golf courses, parks, rights-of-way, and medians.
•New Landscape - vegetation installed at the time of new building construction, governmental capital improvement project, or which alters more than half the area of an existing landscape.
•Non-essential water use - water uses that are not required for the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare, including, but not limited to:
•Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, or airplane, or other vehicle.
•Use of water to wash sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, or other hard-surfaced areas.
•Flushing of gutters or permitting potable water to run or accumulate in any gutter, street, or drainage culvert.
•Use of water to add to an indoor of outdoor swimming pool or hot-tub.
•Use of water in a fountain or pond except where necessary to support aquatic life.
•Use of water from fire hydrants for other than fire fighting and permitted use in conjunction with a hydrant meter.
•Water Waste - water use that serves no purpose including:
•Failure to repair a leak within a reasonable period after having been given notice to repair such leak.
•Operating an irrigation system that results in water runoff or accumulation in a street or parking lot.
Phases and Actions
I. Phase 1 - Voluntary Water Conservation
•Conditions for Implementation -
The City implements residential water conservation rates for its water service.
•Demand Reduction Target -
Water demand target for Phase I is the resultant benchmark usage established by implementation of residential conservation rates where increased usage results in progressively higher incremental water cost.
•Customer and City Actions -
Increase efforts to inform the public on water conservation strategies.
Increase detection and repair of water leaks in the distribution system.
Recommend landscape irrigation use that limits the use of automatic irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers during the evening (7 PM to midnight) and morning hours (midnight to 10AM) once every five days based upon the customer's address.
Restrict the use of Fire hydrant water to fire protection, hydrant testing, hydrant maintenance, and permitted use in conjunction with a hydrant meter.
II. Phase II - Mandatory Water Management
•Conditions for Implementation -
•The water level in the City's No. 1 observation well drops to, or stabilizes below 643 feet (100 feet below the surface) for a period of more than five (5) consecutive days.
and/or
•Lake Georgetown level drops to 779.5 feet (above mean sea level), and no rainfall or other inflow predicted, and the Williamson County Raw Water Line is unavailable for the next thirty (30) days.
and/or
•An event occurs where water demand exceeds the supply and moderate conservation measures will maintain the ability to provide the proper level of service as determined by the Assistant City Manager for Utility Operations "ACM" or his/her designee.
•Demand Reduction Target -
•Water demand target for Phase II is 75% of normal demand (25% reduction).
•Customer and City Actions
1.Continue implementation of Phase I. actions 1) and 2).
2.Suspend the use of potable water for the following City municipal operations:
•Vehicle washing
•Street cleaning
•Park irrigation
3.Prohibit all non-essential water use except:
•the washing of vehicles and boats is restricted to the time and days specified for landscape irrigation using a positive shut-off nozzle.
•the washing of vehicles or boats at a commercial car wash or service station is not restricted.
•the addition of water to swimming pools, hot tubs, or similar items is restricted to the time and days specified for landscape irrigation use.
•Prohibit all water waste.
•Restrict landscape irrigation use to the use of automatic irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers during the evening (7PM to midnight) and morning hours (midnight to 10AM) once every five (5) days based upon the customer's address.
•Landscape irrigation use is permitted at anytime if it is used:
•by means of a hand-held hose or drip irrigation.
•within the first seven (7) days after new landscape installation.
•at a commercial Plant nursery.
•during the testing of new irrigation system installation or existing irrigation system repair.
III. Phase III - Mandatory Water Restrictions
•Conditions for Implementation -
The water level in the City's No. 1 observation well drops to, or stabilizes below 633 feet (110 feet below the surface) for a period of more than five (5) consecutive days.
and/or
Lake Georgetown level drops to 766.5 feet (above mean sea level), and no rainfall or other inflow predicted, and the Williamson County Raw Water Line is unavailable for the next thirty (30) days.
and/or
An event occurs where water demand exceeds the supply and aggressive conservation measures will maintain the ability to provide the proper level of service as determined by the ACM, or his/her designee.
•Demand Reduction Target -
Water demand target for Phase III is 50% of normal demand (50% reduction).
•Customer and City Actions
•Continue the implementation of Phase I. actions 1) and 2).
•Prohibit all non-essential water use.
•Prohibit all water waste.
•Landscape irrigation use is restricted to the use of a single hand-held hose or drip irrigation.
•Prohibit the use of raw water for landscape irrigation.
IV. Phase IV - Water Emergency
•Conditions for Implementation -
An event occurs where water demand exceeds the supply and severe conservation measures are required to maintain the ability to provide the proper level of service as determined by the ACM, or his/her designee.
•Demand Reduction Target -
Water demand target for Phase IV is 25% of normal demand (75% reduction).
•Customer and City Actions
•Continue the implementation of Phase I. actions 1) and 2).
•Prohibit all non-essential water use.
•Prohibit irrigation water use, including the use of raw water for landscape irrigation.
•Prohibit all water waste.
•Prohibit industrial water use.
•The City shall arrange for the emergency purchase of water from utilities for which there exists proper agreements for such purchase.
Enforcement
1.No person shall knowingly or intentionally allow the use of water from the City for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, governmental, or any other purpose in a manner contrary to any provision of this Plan.
2.Any person who violates this Plan is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of up to $2,000 dollars for each day the violation continues, with each day constituting a separate and distinct offense. If a person is convicted of three or more violations of this Plan, the City Manager, or his/her designee shall, upon due notice to the customer, be authorized to discontinue water service to the premises where such violations occur. Services discontinued under such circumstances shall be restored only upon payment of a re-connection charge. In addition, suitable assurance must be given to the City Manager, or his/her designee, that the same action shall not be repeated while the Plan is in effect.
3.Any City Code Enforcement Officer, police officer, or other City of Georgetown employee designated by the City Manager, may issue a citation to a person that is reasonably believed to be in violation of this Plan. The citation shall be prepared in duplicate and shall contain the name and address of the alleged violator, if known, the offense charged, and shall direct him/her to appear in the municipal court on the date shown on the citation (3 to 5 days from the issue date). The alleged violator shall be served a copy of the citation, with service complete upon delivery of the citation to the alleged violator, and agent or employee, or to a person over 14 years of age who is a family member or resident of the violator's residence.
Variances
1.A customer may file an application for a variance from this Plan for the property receiving water service with the ACM. The ACM may determine the proper information and require that the applicant provide such information to evaluate the variance request.
2.The ACM may grant a variance from the Plan upon his/her determination that special circumstances exist that upon strict enforcement of the Plan will adversely affect the health, sanitation, or fire protection for the public or the applicant.
3.Variances granted under this section will expire upon escalation of the Plan to the next higher phase or termination of the Plan.
Termination
The City Manager, or his/her designee, is hereby authorized and directed to terminate the applicable provisions of the Plan upon his/her determination that the applicable provisions are no longer necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.
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