Grand Prairie puts Stage 2 water restrictions in place
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - The drought conditions in North Texas are getting worse by the day and water restrictions in many cities are getting tighter.
Grand Prairie just moved to Stage 2 restrictions.
Jason Smith, who owns Firehouse Gastro Park - a combination restaurant and outdoor live music venue in Grand Prairie - is accustomed to conserving water.
"Most of our plants by design are kind of desert on the outside and tropical on the inside here at Firehouse," he said.
As soon as Smith heard about strict new watering restrictions, he pledged his support.
"I’m proud of it. I’m proud of the leadership here. I think those are, that’s the kind of thinking and head start on the future of drought here in North Texas we need to be on top of," he said.
Effective immediately, Stage 2 mandatory watering restrictions are in place. It’s a step beyond what had been a longstanding Stage 2, or voluntary watering restrictions.
"Basically, in Stage 2, even numbered addresses will water on Monday and odd numbered addresses will water on Friday. That applies to residences and businesses," said Amy Sprinkles, Grand Prairie communications director.
Residents are also asked to avoid watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
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With the extreme heat, water usage in Grand Prairie has been much higher than normal, and the city's massive water tanks are not recovering fast enough between refills.
"We’ve got to extend the amount of time there is for the tanks to refill so that everyone can have water when they turn on the tap," Sprinkles explained.
Hand watering for plants and home and building foundations is allowed on any day, up to two hours a day.
"It really applies primarily to irrigation systems. There are other restrictions. You can’t drain a pool and refill it, you can’t wash a car and leave the hose running, so there are some other restrictions," Sprinkles said.
"We have misters. I don’t know how that applies. Those misters are kind of a slow drip when we have 100 people out here on the lawn. They want fans and misters. So I’ve got to do some research on how that impacts that use," Smith said.
Sprinkles said enforcement will begin with a learning curve.
"We will always warn but citations could be issued in a flagrant disregard situation, but we’ll always educate and advise," she said.
Residents are also asked to avoid watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.