City explains Stage 1 drought steps after reservoir falls below trigger

Amarillo water staff told the City Council that Stage 1 of the city's drought contingency plan was triggered Aug. 17 after the municipal storage reservoir dropped to the plan's 60% trigger point. Water department staff described the reservoir as a manmade storage facility that holds about 500,000,000 gallons and said the city's allocation from the regional supplier averages about 36 million gallons per day (MGD) into that reservoir.

"When we reached that 60% storage level, that's when we triggered our, stage 1 as part of our plan," the staff presenter said, and outlined immediate operational steps: switching municipal turf and parks to overnight, every-other-day watering schedules, curtailing irrigation at golf courses and temporarily closing splash pads. Staff reported the reservoir level at roughly 275,000,000 gallons (about 55% as stated during the meeting) and said the city saw an 8% decline in three days immediately after the Stage 1 notice before beginning a slow recovery.

City staff emphasized that the reservoir supplements treated water from a separate well field and that peak summer demand has stressed the system. They said plant production was being pushed at times (staff cited treated-plant pushes up to about 48 MGD on peak days), and that blending and pump-station operations are being run aggressively to maintain service. The presentation noted evaporation of roughly 1,000,000 gallons per day and estimated the current net recovery rate at about 3' 4 MGD when conditions permit.

Council members asked technical questions about plant capacity, the mix of lake versus well water, and whether stormwater contributes to the reservoir; staff said the reservoir is filled from the regional pipeline and generally not from direct storm runoff. Staff also reported that local school districts and Amarillo College had adjusted their irrigation schedules in coordination with the city. The council did not take any formal regulatory action in the meeting; staff asked for continued voluntary conservation and said mandatory restrictions would follow only if the reservoir dropped to lower trigger levels.