Big Country Cities stay ‘proactive’ in Drought Contingency Plans
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — Hot summer days are not uncommon in Texas, and many people use water to cool down. However, cities across the Big Country are reexamining their Drought Contingency Plans to remain vigilant about droughts and water usage.
Abilene is a regional water supplier, and Rodney Taylor, Director of Water Utilities for Abilene, said Drought Contingency Plans are a top concern.
“It looks like we’re going into a cycle. That drought is going to be a reality here pretty quickly. We go into stages of water conservation, so that’s where it really starts affecting the public in the amount of water they can use and how they use it around their homes. We attempt to get voluntary compliance,” Taylor said.
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Being proactive benefits cities like Clyde, which has been operating on a voluntary level two contingency for more than a year. Clyde City Administrator Chris McGuire shared that they rely on Lake Fort Phantom as a backup plan in the summer.
“If we weren’t proactive, the lake level would have dropped to the point where we wouldn’t be able to pump any water off the lake any longer. And we’d be forced to go to the contingency of having to pull water from the city of Abilene,” McGuire said.
Should Abilene restrict how much water it supplies to other areas?
McGuire also said that if Callahan County does not see rain soon, the contingency level for residents will rise from a 20% to a 30% cutback.
“Prudent planning is to prepare for the worst, and that is why we’re about a week or two away from enacting the stage three drought contingencies. Unfortunately, we’re heading into what appears to be a prolonged dry period,” McGuire explained.
Other cities, like Sweetwater and Anson, are also using this month to ensure the most efficient plans. Authorities ask residents to be cautious of their water usage when washing hands, dishes, and clothes.
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