Drought Information

Drought Contingency Plan - Approved By City Council on April 22, 2019 

2019 Water Conservation / Drought Contingency Plan (PDF)

Stage 1 - Notice

Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan is activated every April or May notifying all customers that the time of year for potential droughts is here. 

Stage 2 - Voluntary

In Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan, we request that each resident voluntarily take certain conservation measures. 

Stage 3 and 4 - Mandatory

In Stage 3 and Stage 4, which may follow as close as 3 days behind Stage 2 activation, there are mandatory measures, and repeat offenders may be fined up to $500 per incident per day. 

The drought contingency message is Do Not Waste Water. Use what you need but do not allow water to be wasted. This will make the biggest difference and will help us to achieve our water conservation goals. Please take the time to verify that your irrigation water is not running down the street. 

For more information on the Drought Contingency Plan, contact Wastewater Treatment Plant Supervisor Mark Wahlstrom at 713-662-5873 or via email.

Drought Capacity

The following is the table used when determining the stages of drought in the area.

  • MGD stands for Millions of Gallons per Day
  • Safe Capacity is equivalent to 75% of the total production capacity. The safe capacity allows for the largest pump or well to be out of service and the system to maintain enough reserves to provide adequate fire protection.
  • The 3-day average may be above a drought stage activation level and the stage not be activated as the plan calls for 3 consecutive days above the activation level and not a 3-day average. This helps prevent erroneous activation in the case that there is an event, such as a water leak, which causes a high single day peak.
Safe Capacity MGD Maximum Capacity
Safe Capacity 6.480 MGD 75% of Maximum Capacity
80% Safe Capacity 5.184 MGD 3 Days - Initiate Stage 4
70% Safe Capacity 4.536 MGD 3 Days - Initiate Stage 3
60% Safe Capacity 4.212 MGD 3 Days - Initiate Stage 2
Current Demand 3.534 MGD Last 3 Days Average
Current % of Safe Capacity 54.5% Every April - Initiate Stage 1