BPUB implements Stage 2 water restrictions after scorching summer

The Brownsville Public Utilities Board on Monday initiated Stage 2 water restrictions under its Drought Contingency Plan in response to falling water levels at the Amistad and Falcon international reservoirs.

Stage 2 restrictions, which were also implemented in late July 2022 but lifted last January, have been triggered again because the combined reservoir levels have fallen below 25%, or 834,600 acre-feet. One acre-foot is how much water it takes to cover one acre in one foot of water. As of Sept. 9, the combined levels had fallen to 23.3%, according to BPUB, which brought back the restrictions in collaboration with the city of Brownsville.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is on track so far to be more or less a repeat of last year’s season, which failed to deliver the tropical rainfall over the reservoirs’ watershed necessary to avoid heightened water restrictions.

The goal of Stage 2 is to reduce average daily water demand by 5%, and maximum daily water demand on BPUB by 10%. The restrictions, as set forth by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, prohibit non-essential watering such as washing buildings or spraying water to control dust, and allowing water to run off into streets.

Vehicle washing is allowed two days a week between midnight to 10 a.m., and from 7 p.m. to midnight, based on the last digit of the service address. Watering lawns and other vegetation via an irrigation system is also 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 the service address.

Variances must be obtained from BPUB to water new landscaping outside the irrigation schedule for four weeks from the date of planting, said the utility.

For customers whose service address ends in 0 or 1, watering days are Monday and Saturday; 2 or 3, Tuesday and Saturday; 4 or 5, Wednesday and Saturday; 6 or 7, Thursday and Friday; and 8 or 9, Friday and Sunday.

“Protecting Brownsville’s water supply through conservation is incredibly important as we go through this hot weather,” said BPUB general manager and CEO, Marilyn Gilbert. “All of our actions can make a huge difference.”

This is only the third time BPUB has implemented Stage 2 of its Drought Contingency Plan since the late 1990s, when the Rio Grande essentially dried up before it reached the Gulf. Stage 1 restrictions are automatically implemented every year on May 1, calling on residents to voluntarily comply with restrictions on landscape irrigation and curtail non-essential water use. Stage 2 restrictions are the same as those under Stage 1, but are mandatory.

BPUB’s No. 1 and No. 2 water plants, which treat water from the Rio Grande, have a maximum capacity of 40 million gallons daily to meet the city’s needs. As backup, especially during drought conditions, BPUB owns a nearly 93% share in the Southmost Regional Water Authority, a brackish groundwater treatment facility that assures an alternate water source and reduces reliance on the Rio Grande, the utility said.

Brownsville mayor and ex officio BPUB board member, John Cowen Jr., requested that residents cooperate with the restrictions during this dry time.

“The city of Brownsville will continue to work closely with BPUB to find new ways of preserving our drinking water supply, and (we) kindly ask all BPUB water customers, both residential and commercial, for their assistance conserving ­­­water at this time,” he said.

BPUB said customers can rest assured the utility “will continue to provide the best service to residents and keep them abreast of any developments in the area’s drought conditions.”

For more information on the various stages of BPUB’s Drought Contingency Plan, visit brownsville-pub.com.