Water restrictions ramp up as drought continues
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin has now seen 27 straight days at 100 degrees or higher, and it looks like those high temperatures will continue.
What does that mean for people living in Central Texas?
It could mean tougher water restrictions as some places have already added more restrictions.
"Has it ever been like this hot in Austin before?" asked Henry Pugh as he walked through his grandfather's yard.
Gary Pugh is under Travis County Water Control and Improvement District 17, where they are under stage 2 restrictions.
"We have a lot of dead grass in the yard," said Pugh. "We've got a courtyard area that lost a lot of plants."
Pugh can water two times a week, but some areas are cracking down even harder.
"Mid-June, we moved to stage 2, which limits the amount of time watering," said Jennifer Riechers with the West Travis County Public Utility Agency. "Then July 20, we had to move to stage 3 watering restrictions which is one day per week watering."
Reichers says growth in areas like Dripping Springs and Bee Cave means more people are using water, especially to water their yards.
"Our issue is more of the demand on our system and being able to keep up with that," said Riechers.
Restrictions have helped, but some people don't always follow them says Riechers.
"Since we moved to stage 3, we have had a lot of neighbors calling in and ratting out other neighbors," said Riechers.
First-time rule breakers will receive a warning, but after that, you can face hefty fines or even have your water shut off.
Austin Water is in stage 1 restrictions at the moment but could move to stage 2 soon.
Austin Water is planning for the future, says Kevin Kluge. It has a water-forward plan that looks at ways to conserve water through various methods, like buildings that collect water.
"This plan looks out over the next 100 years to ensure Austinites have the water they need," said Kluge.
Pugh says he's happy to follow the rules when restrictions are in place, but he's over the heat and ready for some rain.
"It's been a hot year," said Pugh.