Drought Contingency & Emergency Water Management Plan
The City of North Richland Hills has adopted a Drought Contingency and Emergency Water Management Plan. Listed below is a summary of the conditions and steps that may need to be taken by water users during a water shortage emergency. The Drought Contingency and Emergency Water Management Plan provides more detail along with other steps water users must take during a drought condition or emergency water shortage. Click here to view the entire plan.
Drought & Emergency Response Stages
Stage 1 - Water Watch
Triggering Conditions
- Water demand reaches or exceeds 90% of reliable delivery capacity for three consecutive days. The delivery capacity could be citywide or in a specified portion of the system.
- Distribution system becomes contaminated
- Water supply system is unable to deliver water due to the failure or damage of major water system components.
- Total raw water supply within the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) western and eastern division reservoirs, drops below 75% (25% depleted) of conservation storage.
- TRWD's supply source becomes contaminated.
All Water Users:
Initiate mandatory restrictions to prohibit non-essential water use as follows:
- Prohibit hosing of paved areas, such as sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, patios, or other impervious surfaces, except to alleviate an immediate health or safety hazard.
- Prohibit using water in such a manner as to allow runoff or other waste.
- Prohibit outdoor watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems at each service address to a twice per week schedule as outlined below. This includes landscape watering of parks, and sports fields.
- Residential addresses ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8) may water on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- Residential addresses ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, or 9) may water on Thursday and Sundays.
- All non-residential locations (apartment complexes, businesses, industries, parks, street medians, etc.) may water on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- Washing of any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane, or other vehicle shall be limited to the use of a hand-held bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive-pressure shutoff nozzle for quick rinses. Vehicle washing may be done at any time on the premises of a commercial car wash or commercial service station. Companies with an automated on-site vehicle washing facility may wash its vehicles at anytime. Further, such washing may be exempt from these requirements if the health, safety, and welfare of the public are contingent upon frequent vehicle cleanings, such as garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport food and perishables.
Exception:
- Foundations may be watered up to two hours on any day using a handheld hose, soaker hose or drip irrigation system placed within 24-inches of the foundation that does not produce a spray of water above the ground.
- Newly installed shrubs (first year) and trees (two years) may be watered up to two hours on any day by handheld hose, drip irrigation, soaker hose or tree bubbler. Tree watering is limited to an area not to exceed the drip line of a tree.
- Establishing new turf is discouraged. If hydromulch, grass sod, or grass seed is installed for the purpose of establishing a new lawn, there are no watering restrictions for the first 30 days while it is being established. After that, the watering restrictions set forth in this stage apply. (This does not include over seeing with rye since turf already exists.)
Stage 2 - Water Warning
Triggering Conditions:
- Water demand reaches or exceeds 95% of reliable delivery capacity for three consecutive days. The delivery capacity could be citywide or in a specified portion of the system.
- Contamination of the water supply source(s) or water supply system.
- Water supply system is unable to deliver water due to the failure or damage of major water system components.
- Total raw water supply within TRWD, western and eastern division reservoirs, drops below 60% (40% depleted) of conservation storage.
Actions Available for Stage 2:
- Continue or initiate any actions available under Stage 1.
All Water Users:
- Limit landscape watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems to a once per week schedule at each service address as determined by the Public Works Department. This includes landscape watering at parks and sports fields.
- All users are encouraged to wait until the current drought or emergency situation has passed before establishing new landscaping and turf. If hydromulch, grass sod, or grass seed is installed for the purpose of establishing a new lawn, there are no watering restrictions for the first 30 days while it is being established. After that, the watering restrictions set forth in this stage apply (this does not include over seeding with rye since turf already exists.)
- Prohibit the operation of ornamental fountains or ponds that use potable water except where necessary, to support aquatic life or where such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.
- Prohibit filling of swimming pools with automatic valves.
Exceptions:
- Foundations may be watered up to two hours on any day by a handheld hose, a soaker hose, or drip irrigation system placed within 24-inches of the foundation that does not produce a spray of water above the ground.
- Newly installed shrubs and trees (first year) may be watered up to two hours on any day by a handheld hose, drip irrigation, or a soaker hose. Tree watering is limited to an area no to exceed the drip line of the tree.
Stage 3 - Emergency Water Use
Triggering Conditions for Stage 3:
- Water demand reaches or exceeds 98% of reliable delivery capacity for one day. The delivery capacity could be citywide or in a specified portion of the system.
- Contamination of the water supply source(s) or water supply system.
- Demand for all or part of the delivery system exceeds delivery capacity because delivery capacity is inadequate.
- Water supply system is unable to deliver water due to the failure or damage of major water system components.
- Total raw water supply within TRWD, western and eastern division reservoirs, drops below 45% (55% depleted) of conservation storage.
Actions Available for Stage 3:
The City Manager or his/her official designee may order the implementation of any of the actions listed below, as deemed necessary. The City Manager or his/her official designee must implement any action(s) required by the City of Fort Worth or TRA.
- Continue or initiate any actions available under Stages 1 and 2.
All Water Users:
- Prohibit landscape watering, including at parks, and sports fields
- Prohibit establishment of new landscaping.
- Vehicle washing restricted to commercial car wash, commercial service station or a private on-site vehicle washing facility and can only be done as necessary for health, sanitation, or safety reasons, including but not limited to the washing of garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport food and other perishables. All other vehicle washing is prohibited.
- Prohibit the operation of ornament fountains or ponds that use potable water except where necessary to support aquatic life.
- Prohibit the draining, filling, or refilling of swimming pools, wading pools and Jacuzzi type pools. Existing private and public pools may add water to maintain pool levels; however they may not be refilled using automatic fill vales.
Exceptions:
- Foundations may be watered up to two hours on any day by handheld hose; or using a soaker hose or drop irrigation system placed within 24-inches of the foundation that does not produce a spray of water above the ground.
- Trees may be watered up to two hours on any day by handheld hose, drip irrigation, or a soaker hose. Tree watering is limited to an area not to exceed the drip line of the tree.
- Professional sports fields (playing fields with a stadium only - not surrounding landscaping) may be watered as needed to maintain league standards.
Procedures For Enforcing Mandatory Water Use Measures
Mandatory water use restrictions may be imposed in Stages 1, 2, and 3. These mandatory water use restrictions will be enforced by warnings and penalties as follows:
- On the first violation, customers will be given a written warning that they have violated the mandatory water use restriction.
- On the second and subsequent violations, citations may be issued to customers with minimum and maximum fines established by ordinance.
- After three violations have occurred, the City may cut off water service to the customer.
