Fairview council adopts Water Resources and Emergency Management plan, aligning drought triggers with regional requirements

The Fairview Town Council approved the Water Resources and Emergency Management plan after a public hearing and staff presentation on the plan’s drought triggers and watering restrictions.

Julie (staff) told the council the plan “is a requirement both from the state and from North Texas,” and that staff included a draft drought contingency plan for public review before the vote. She said the updated plan consolidates the prior four drought stages into three to match refinements by the state and regional water district.

Under the adopted plan, initiation and termination of drought stages are tied to combined storage percentages for regional reservoirs. Julie explained the practical effect on residents: during April–October watering will be allowed twice per week under normal conditions, reduced to once per week in the late fall and winter season, but those limits “are not enforced unless we get into a drought situation,” she said.

Council members asked clarifying questions about the percent thresholds that trigger stages and how termination is defined; staff emphasized the town’s plan mirrors minimum requirements in the town’s contract with the regional supplier. Councilmember 5 moved to approve the updated Water Resources and Emergency Management plan; the council voted in favor.

The ordinance component the council approved formalizes the drought response triggers and the town’s emergency water‑management procedures. Staff said the plan’s purpose is to provide clear, consistent triggers and to align local actions with North Texas Municipal supply criteria; enforcement would occur only after a declared drought stage that meets the plan’s storage thresholds.