City of Levelland Drought Contingency Plan

A. Triggering Criteria for Initiation and Termination of Drought Response Stages. The Water Superintendent, or his/her designee, shall monitor water supply and/or demand conditions on a weekly basis and shall determine when conditions warrant initiation or termination of each stage of the Plan. Public notification of the initiation or termination of drought response stages shall be by means of publication in a newspaper of general circulation, or electronic media, or other methods as appropriate. The triggering criteria described below are based on the water production and distribution facilities of the City of Levelland and water availability from the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA).

1. Stage 1- Mild Water Shortage Conditions. Requirements for initiation - Customers shall be requested to voluntarily conserve water and adhere to the prescribed restrictions on certain water uses, defined in Section IV - Definitions, when total daily water demand equals or exceeds 4.5 million gallons for 7 consecutive days or 5.0 million gallons on a single day based on the "safe" operating capacity of water supply facilities. Alternatively, when CRMWA initiates Stage 1 conditions. Requirements for termination - Stage 1 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of one (1) consecutive day.

2. Stage 2 - Moderate Water Shortage Conditions. Requirements for initiation - Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions on certain non-essential water uses provided in Section IV of this Plan when total daily water demand equals or exceeds 4.8 million gallons for 5 consecutive days or 5.3 million gallons on a single day based on the "safe" operating capacity of water supply facilities. Alternatively, when CRMWA initiates Stage 2 conditions. Requirements for termination - Stage 2 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of one (1) consecutive day. Upon termination of Stage 2, Stage 1 becomes operative.

3. Stage 3 - Severe Water Shortage Conditions. Requirements for initiation - Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions on certain non-essential water uses for Stage 3 of this Plan when total daily water demand equals or exceeds 5.0 million gallons for three (3) consecutive days or 5.5 million gallons on. A single day based on the "safe" operating capacity of water supply facilities. Alternatively, when CRMWA initiates Stage 3 conditions. Requirements for termination - Stage 3 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of one (1) consecutive day. Upon termination of Stage 3, Stage 2 becomes operative.

4. Stage 4 - Critical Water Shortage Conditions. Requirements for initiation - Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions on certain non-essential water uses for Stage 4 of this Plan when total daily water demand equals or exceeds 5.3 million gallons for 3 consecutive days or 5.7 million gallons on a single day based on the "safe" operating capacity of water supply facilities. Alternatively, when CRMWA is continuing to experience Stage 3 conditions. Requirements for termination - Stage 4 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of one (1) consecutive day. Upon termination of Stage 4, Stage 3 becomes operative.

5. Stage 5 - Emergency Water Shortage Conditions. Requirements for initiation - Customers shall be required to comply with the requirements and restrictions for Stage 5 of this Plan when the Water, or his/her designee, determines that a water supply emergency exists based on:

a. Major water line breaks, or pump or system failures occur, which cause unprecedented loss of capability to provide water service; or

b. Natural or man-made contamination of the water supply source(s).

Requirements for termination - Stage 5 of the Plan may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of one (1) consecutive day.

B. Water Rationing

1. Requirements for initiation - Customers shall be required to comply with the water allocation plan prescribed in Section X of this Plan and comply with the requirements and restrictions for Stage 5 of this Plan when total daily water demand equals or exceeds 5.7 million gallons for 3 consecutive days or 5.9 million gallons on a single day based on the "safe" operating capacity of water supply facilities. Requirements for termination - Water rationing may be rescinded when all of the conditions listed as triggering events have ceased to exist for a period of l consecutive day.

VII. Continued Water Conservation Drought Response Stages

This is an ongoing plan that the City will try to observe in order to conserve water daily. It coincides with the Drought Contingency Plan that will be enacted for the Citizens, but again, will be an on going practice. The Water Superintendent, or his/her designee, shall monitor water supply and/or demand conditions and in accordance with the triggering criteria set forth in Section III of the Plan, may determine that a mild, moderate, severe, critical, or emergency condition exists, and may implement the following actions upon notification from the Director to the Department Heads, and publicized in the newspaper of general circulation, or electronic media, or other appropriate method:

1. Mild Water Shortage Conditions Goal: Achieve a voluntary 3 percent reduction in daily water demand. Supply Management Measures: Reduce flushing of water mains and reduce irrigation of public landscaped areas. Voluntary Water Use Restrictions:

(e) Water customers are requested to voluntarily limit the irrigation of landscaped arms, and to irrigate landscapes only between the hours of midnight and 10:00 am. and 8:00 p.m. to midnight.

(f) All operations of the City of Levelland shall adhere to water use restrictions prescribed for Stage 1 of the Plan until other wise notified by the Director.

(g) Water customers are requested to practice water conservation and to minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.

2. Moderate Water Shortage Conditions Goal: Achieve a 7 percent reduction in daily water demand. Supply Management Measures: Reduce flushing of water mains (except where water quality issues and performance of the system is necessary) and reduce irrigation of public landscaped areas. Water Use Restrictions, the following water use restrictions shall apply to all persons:

a) Irrigation of landscaped areas with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems shall be limited to Sundays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8), and Saturdays and Wednesdays for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9), and irrigation of landscaped areas is further limited to the hours between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. on designated watering days. However, irrigation of landscaped areas is permitted at anytime if it is by means of a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle, a faucet filled bucket or watering can of five (5) gallons or less, or a drip irrigation system (preferred)

b) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is prohibited unless such washing is done with a hand-held bucket or a handheld hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle for quick rises. Vehicle washing may be done at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash or commercial service station. Further, such washing may be exempted from these regulations if the health, safety, and welfare of the public is contingent upon frequent vehicle cleansing, such as garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport food and perishables.

c) Use of water to fill, refill, or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming, pools, wading pools, or Jacuzzi type pools is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.

d) Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited except where necessary to support aquatic life or where such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.

e) Use of water from hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting, related activities, or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare, except that use of water from designated fire hydrants for construction purposes may be allowed under special permit from the City of Levelland.

f) Use of water for the irrigation of golf course greens, tees, and fairways is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours 8 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. However, if the golf course utilizes a water source other than that provided by the City of Levelland, the facility shall not be subject to these regulations.

g) The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:

a) Wash down of any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas;

b) Use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection;

c) Flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and

d) Failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice directing the repair of such leak(s).

3. Severe Water Shortage ConditionsGoal: Achieve a 12 percent reduction in daily water demand. Supply Management Measures: Reduce flushing of water mains, and reduce or discontinue irrigation of public landscaped areas. Water Use Restrictions - All requirements of Stage 2 shall remain in effect during Stage 3 except:

a) Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be limited to designated watering days between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. and shall be by means of hand held hoses, handheld buckets, drip irrigation, hose end sprinkler systems with automatic cutoff systems, or permanently installed automatic sprinkler system only. The use of hose-end sprinklers without automatic cutoffs is prohibited at all times.

b) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Such washing, when allowed, shall be done with a hand-held bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle for quick rises. Vehicle washing may be done at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash or commercial service station. Further, such washing may be exempted from these regulations if the health safety, and welfare of the public are contingent upon frequent vehicle cleansing, such as garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport food and perishables

c) The watering of golf course tees is prohibited unless the golf course utilizes a water source other than that provided by the City of Levelland.

d) The use of water for construction purposes from designated fire hydrants under special permit is to be discontinued.

4. Critical Water Shortage Conditions Goal: Achieve an 18 percent reduction in daily water-demand. Supply Management Measures: Reduce flushing of water mains. Discontinue irrigation of public landscaped areas.

Water Use Restrictions, All requirements of Stage 2 and 3 shall remain in effect during Stage 4 except:

a) Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be limited to designated watering days between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight and shall be by means of hand-held hoses, hand-held buckets, or drip irrigation only. The use of hose-end sprinklers or permanently installed automatic sprinkler systems are prohibited at all times.

b) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle not occurring on the premises of a commercial car wash and commercial service stations and not in the immediate interest of public health, safety, and welfare is prohibited. Further, such vehicle washing at commercial car washes and commercial service stations shall occur only between the hours of 6:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m. and between 6:00 p.m. and 10 p.m.

c) The filling, refilling, or adding of water to swimming pools, wading pools, and type-type pools is prohibited.

d) Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited except where necessary to support aquatic life or where such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.

e) No applications for new, additional, expanded, or increased-in-size water service connections, meters, service lines, pipeline extensions, mains, or water service facilities of any kind shall be allowed or approved.

5. Emergency Water Shortage Conditions Goal: Achieve a 30 percent reduction in daily water demand. Supply Management Measures:

Discontinue flushing of water mains. Discontinue irrigation of public landscaped areas. Water Use Restrictions. All requirements of Stage 2, 3, and 4 shall remain in effect during Stage 5 except:

a) Irrigation of landscaped areas is absolutely prohibited.

Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is absolutely prohibited.