Levelland council adopts drought contingency plan with new high‑use water tier

The Levelland City Council approved an updated drought contingency and water conservation plan that adds a higher rate tier for very high water users and formalizes language requested by the state.

City staff explained the plan is an annual housekeeping and compliance measure with the state and recommended adding a fourth inside-city rate tier: 0–3,000 gallons at $3.73 per thousand; 3,001–20,000 at $3.86 per thousand; and 20,001 gallons and up at $4.00 per thousand (inside city limits). Outside the city limits the plan lists $5.60 per thousand for 0–3,000 gallons; $5.79 for 3,001–20,000; and $6.00 per thousand for 20,001 and up.

Staff framed the change as both a conservation tool and a recognition that the aquifer is not being recharged at previous rates. "We need to be thinking about that now so that our kids and our grandkids will have water in the future," Speaker 4 told the council while recommending approval.

Councilors moved and seconded approval of Resolution 2024-19 to adopt the updated drought contingency plan. Council approved the resolution by voice vote.

Staff noted the rate items were included in the conservation plan so they could be considered during the budget process; if council chooses not to adopt the rates during budget deliberations, those sections may be removed later. The plan also aligns local rules for extreme water-loss scenarios with the state-required drought-contingency framework.

The council approved the measure as a procedural step to keep the city compliant with Texas Department of Agriculture/state requirements and to provide staff with an updated rate structure to guide the upcoming budget process. No final utility-rate ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the changes are incorporated into the conservation plan for consideration in the budget process.