Marble Falls moves to tougher water restrictions
MARBLE FALLS — The city of Marble Falls moved from Stage 1 voluntary water restrictions to the more stringent standards of Stage 2 on Aug. 14 to help with conservation efforts, officials said.
The drought continues to challenge the region and the city is doing what it can to keep plenty of water on hand, City Manager Ralph Hendricks said.
“We appreciate our citizens and their efforts to conserve water during this very hot dry period,” he said. “We hope that these restrictions will be adequate to get through the end of the summer.”
Under Stage 2 restrictions:
• Mandatory lawn watering schedule — Customers may water between midnight-10 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight twice a week coinciding with the last digit of their street address.
Those include: residential, odd-number addresses — Wednesdays and Saturdays; residential, even-number addresses — Thursdays and Sundays; and commercial — Tuesdays and Fridays
• Washing any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other
vehicle is prohibited except on designated outdoor water-use days midnight-10 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight.
Customers should use a handheld bucket or a handheld hose with a shutoff nozzle.
Washing vehicles is still allowed at a commercial car wash or service station.
• Filling indoor/outdoor pools and Jacuzzi-style tubs is prohibited except on designated outdoor water-use days from midnight-10 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight.
• Operating ponds or fountains is not permitted except to preserve aquatic life or where there is a recirculation system.
• Releasing water from fire hydrants is restricted to firefighters, except under special permits from the city for construction.
• Irrigating golf course greens, tees and fairways is not allowed except on designated outdoor water-use days from midnight-10 a.m. and 7 p.m.-midnight. Courses that don’t use water from the city are exempt from the regulations.
• Water will be served in restaurants only if patrons ask.
In addition, there are water uses forbidden under any circumstances during Stage 2, officials said:
• Washing down sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts,
or other hard-surfaced areas.
• Washing buildings or structures unless it’s to put out or prevent a fire.
• Dust control.
• Flushing gutters or letting water run or collect on the street or gutters.
• Not repairing a leak after being given notice.
Violations come with warnings and can be followed by fines, officials said.
Hendricks said residents have always cooperated with the restrictions in the past.
“Our community comes together well when there are challenges like this and I am sure that will be the case with the conservation measures we are requesting from our residents,” he said.