Hutto enters Stage 3 water restrictions

The City of Hutto is moving to Stage 3 water restrictions starting Friday afternoon until further notice.

HUTTO, Texas (KXAN) -- The City of Hutto is moving to Stage 3 water restrictions starting Friday afternoon until further notice.

The restrictions apply to all City of Hutto water customers -- both within Hutto city limits and the Hutto ETJ – including residential, commercial, industrial and institutional properties.

Hutto moved to Stage 2 restrictions two weeks ago. The main differences between Stage 2 and Stage 3 rules are that hose-end sprinklers can no longer be used, and hand-held watering outdoors is now limited to designated days.

The allowable watering hours for Stage 3 are 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on designated days, as follows:

The following outdoor watering activities can only occur before 6 am or after 8 pm on designated days:

• Use of automated irrigation systems
• Watering by hand-held hose, drip irrigation, or faucet-filled bucket or watering can
• Filling of swimming pools
• Washing of vehicles (Note: Commercial carwash facilities are exempt IF they use a water recycling system)

PLUS, every day:

• Hose-end sprinklers can no longer be used
• Restaurants cannot serve water unless requested by patron 
• Fountains and aesthetic pond-water features cannot be operated
• Water cannot be used to wash down buildings, driveways, sidewalks and hard-surface areas
• Water cannot be used for dust control and gutter flushing 

Properties that use private well water are exempt from these restrictions, such as The Co-Op District, Hutto City Hall and the Hutto Riverwalk soccer fields. 

Multiple other cities and counties in Central Texas have implemented water restrictions as severe and extreme drought conditions continue in the area. A map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). shows that Central Texas needs more than 15 inches of rain to get out of the drought.