Brownsville Public Utilities Board: Stage 2 alert limits water usage

The Brownsville Public Utilities Board has activated Stage 2 of its drought contingency plan because a lack of rain has caused water levels to reach 23% at Amistad and Falcon International reservoirs.  

Cleiri Quezada, lead communication and public relations coordinator for BPUB, said the city depends heavily on the reservoirs. Stage 2 was implemented on Sept. 18 and it begins when water levels are below 25%.

There are four stages in the drought contingency plan. Stage 1 is Voluntary Water Conservation, where people can voluntarily decrease their use of water, and starts every year on May 1.

Stage 2 is Water Storage Alert. Stage 3 is Water Shortage Warning, when water levels are 15%. Stage 4 is Water Shortage Emergency and can be activated if there are system errors or a contamination of the water supply.

Stages 3 and 4 have never been implemented, Quezada said.

She said Stage 2 may remain until the end of December.

There are many things that can lead to Stage 2, such as burst pipes, but Quezada said that “in this case, it was a lack of rain in the recent months.”

Guidelines of Stage 2, according to the BPUB website, are as follows:

–Vehicle washing is allowed two days a week from midnight to 10 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight, based on the last digit of the service address.

–Non-essential watering is prohibited, such as washing buildings, using water for dust control, or allowing water to run off into streets.

–Lawn watering by a sprinkler system is restricted to two days a week from midnight to 7 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight, based on the last digit of service address.

–Variances must be acquired from the BPUB office to water new landscapes outside the landscape irrigation schedule for four weeks since the date of planting.

“We will be placing a sign on their doors if we notice that … there’s been consistent unnecessary water usage in people’s homes or businesses,” Quezada said.

Customers will receive a notice or warning violation if they are not following guidelines.

Activities, such as washing cars or using a sprinkler system, that take place during the wrong hours of the day can be reported to the hotline available on the BPUB website.

“The question always comes up of ‘Does this apply to me if I’m using water from the resaca?’ Yes, it applies to you as well,” Quezada said.

The Brownsville Irrigation District provides water from the resacas for agriculture. Water is pumped from the Rio Grande into the system, and when the irrigation district gets a demand from farmers, pump stations throughout the resaca systems provide water to those farmers.

Water is still being provided to farmers but since Stage 2 has been activated, it has been in low demand.

Arturo Cabello, general manager of the Brownsville Irrigation District, said the district has been monitoring water levels in the resacas in order to help conserve water.

“I’m starting to see resacas in the city extremely low,” Cabello said. “… I understand it’s part of conserving the water and [the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality] is not allowing us to pick up water just for aesthetics.”

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is an agency that sets regulations to maintain good air quality, surface water management, water quality and waste management, according to its website.

Cabello said that he sees some residents who say the water in the resacas are low, yet they turn on their sprinkler systems and drain the system.

Quezada said drought conditions have not been improving.

“It’s definitely a concern for everybody in the state,” she said.

Two factors that could lead to the deactivation of Stage 2 are

–people conserving 5% of their water usage on a daily basis

–if rain lands in reservoirs.

Quezada said that if reservoir levels rise above 25%, then the removal of Stage 2 would be considered.

“I want to remind students [of] the importance of our water resources here in Brownsville,” she said. “Let them know that we have a website dedicated just to that information about drought, about our stages in drought and about our water.”

Jackeline Gutierrez, a biomedical science junior, said it is important to follow the restrictions because she does not want Texas to be struggling and “going through hard times.”

Gutierrez explained how sometimes people want to pamper themselves with a longer shower but that it could help the city to limit them.

“I have sisters so, you know, they take their sweet time,”she said. “… It’s like … tone it down because we’re taking for granted something that’s very essential to our lives.”

Gutierrez said that keeping an eye on her water usage and telling people about Stage 2 would be her way of contributing.

For more information on the Stage 2 Water Shortage Alert, visit www.brownsville-pub.com.