The District requests that Exempt well owners reduce their use by 20%Note: We had a nice and much appreciated rain the other night (some folks reported marble size hail) but it hardly put a dent in the existing drought conditions, according to groundwater district officials. Cooler temps are in store for the next few days. Enjoy it while it lasts.
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PRESS RELEASE from the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
The Board of Directors of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District met on May 9, 2011 at the Wimberley Community Center for one agenda topic, drought Alarm Stage.
The District’s three drought condition triggers: low flows at the Blanco River and the Pedernales River, and the Palmer Drought Severity Index / US Drought Monitor, have all three met the criteria for Alarm Stage.
The District, which encompasses western Hays County, has been in drought condition Voluntary Conservation, which requests a 10% voluntary reduction. This new drought condition, Alarm Stage, sanctioned by the Board of Directors and unanimously enacted ORDER 149. It states that Non-Exempt Permit holders are mandated to reduce their use of groundwater by 20% of their total yearly permit production.
The District recognizes that there are approximately 6,000 Exempt well owners within western Hays County which are under no regulatory authority of the District. The District requests that Exempt well owners reduce their use by 20%.
ORDER 149 requests that Exempt well owners use the following outdoor watering schedule:
Odd numbered addresses: Wednesday and or Saturday onlyThe Board of Directors recognizes Public Water Service providers within the District to manage their customer’s groundwater reductions including outdoor watering dates and time schedules.
Even numbered addresses: Thursday and or Sunday only
Watering Hours: 6:00 am – 9:00 am and or 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
No Watering at any other times
Hand-held hoses or hand-held buckets are allowed at any time
A copy of ORDER 149 can be located on the District’s website www.haysgroundwater.com under Quick Links / Regulatory. There you can read further detail of Order 149 plus ways property owners can reduce their groundwater use.
You may contact the District directly at 512-858-9253 with any question or concerns. We suggest you come by our office and pick up a free drought sign for your home or subdivision.
“Working together for the benefit of the health of the Trinity Aquifer.”
Rick Broun – General Manager HTGCD.
9 comments:
"The District recognizes that there are approximately 6,000 Exempt well owners within western Hays County which are under no regulatory authority of the District. The District requests that Exempt well owners reduce their use by 20%."
One way you can do that is to PEE outside. It works for me.
Wait a minute. Does this mean that some of the anti-science boys on the board are having to accept that there may be a water shortage?
@ Anonymous May 13, 2011 4:57 PM
Hey Chicken Little, Anybody with a brain knows that droughts happen regularly in this part of the country. It doesn't mean that the aquifer is drying up , it simply means that it hasn't rained in a while. Once the rains return everything will be back to normal except your brain which is permanently damaged from listening to the G&L crowd in Wimberley.
Haha Marble sized hail barely left a dent, puny
@ Anonymous May 13, 2011 4:57 Pm
Owned.....
The Brazilians have a great idea to save drinking water. They have mounted a huge TV campaign to explain their plan.
Check this VIDEO. We should all try it and do our part for the Trinity aquifer.
What this article did not mention is that the reduction is not voluntary for permit owners. Some of the highlights of the meeting included:
1. The "20% rule" is meaningless and needs to be changed. How is the 20% to be measured? From last month, the same time a year ago, or by the end of the permit year, ... etc. Some users are already at a bare minimum and a "20% reduction" (whatever that means) is simply not appropriate particularly in view of the ignored waste of other permit holders
2. One of the speakers discussed a local summer camp and the point that the only time they use water is in the summer. However the 20% reduction is measured is problematic since they weren't using water until the camp was in season.
3. Some of the local attendees made really odd requests. One request was that this would be a "good opportunity" for the camp to "teach youngsters about water conservation". Yeah, and that's why the parents spent the big bucks sending their kids to a religion oriented summer camp - to be subjected to someone else's agenda about what the kids should be learning.
4. The more interesting suggestion was when someone suggested replacing irrigated football and baseball fields with gravel or chipped granite. Case of engaging mouth before brain. This elicited smiles an remarks from president Skipton who noted that the camp will be known as "Tough Camp". A speaker from the back remarked that you would only be allowed 30 seconds in the shower to wash the blood off (from sliding into third base) due to water conservation.
5. The camp was just one example. Virtually every permittee illustrated the problem with implementation or measuring "20% reduction". The board indicated that these kinds of problems (along with the contested case rules) are the very reason the board will begin tackling amendments to the rules.
6. The money previously earmarked for education is being held up in anticipation of litigation threatened by CARD and WVWA and their members/advisors.
County imposes mandatory "open space" on platting requirements
County requires "open space" to be privately owned and maintained - effectively mandating an involuntary membership HOA for all the people there
Restrictive covenants burdening property with HOA also say "No Signs".
HOA also threatens homeowners unless they plant landscaping and sod (which all requires irrigation). If you don't comply you will be privately fined, threatened with foreclosure, and almost certainly end up in litigation.
Maybe the county should stop mandating HOAs.
The point of the last post was probably that:
1) education means nothing when people simply aren't given a choice; and
2) signs aren't allowed to be posted in a lot of HOA-burdened properties. The theory is that it would harm property values don't ya know.
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