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Council advances updated water conservation and drought-contingency ordinance to meet state rules
Summary
Council approved first reading of a rewritten water conservation and drought contingency ordinance to bring Alpine’s plan in line with TCEQ and Texas Water Development Board requirements and to add measurable targets and staged restrictions.
Alpine City Council approved the first reading of an updated water conservation and drought contingency ordinance that revises chapter 66 of the city code and sets measurable conservation targets and staged restrictions for water use.
City staff said the revised text was prepared to meet the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Water Development Board requirements and to reflect the city’s current utility operations. The ordinance establishes multiple drought-response stages, clarifies triggers for moving between stages, and describes specific restrictions and penalties for violations; the draft sets a measurable conservation target of about 11.4 percent for the city’s initial conservation efforts.
City Manager Megan told council the update reflects the city’s pressure planes and distribution realities; last summer staff and the council had asked customers voluntarily to cut use on the west side where pressures differ. The ordinance adds meter-maintenance and leak-detection steps to reduce unbilled losses and aligns the enforcement language with state guidance. "We do need to make some of those contingencies when we have the different pressure planes that are affected," the city manager said.
During council discussion, members asked for clarity about what each drought stage means for residents. Under the draft: stage 1 calls for voluntary 10 percent reductions and suspension of main flushing; stage 2 imposes mandatory restrictions (for example limiting irrigation days by address) and allows enforcement; stage 3 adds tighter hours and further prohibitions on nonessential uses. Councilmember Stevens noted the city’s pool consumes significant water and wanted that usage tracked; he said the municipal pool uses about 10 million gallons a year and that repairs to reduce seepage should be part of the long-term plan.
The ordinance passed first reading unanimously. Staff said they will submit the updated plan to TCEQ and the Texas Water Development Board, and that the ordinance will return for a second reading with any technical edits from those agencies.
