Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Mandatory Water Restrictions Begin July 1st

MANDATORY RESTRICTIONS OF FRISCO'S WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN BEGIN JULY 1:CITY WATERWISE PROGRAM OFFERS NEW, WEEKLY WATERING RECOMMENDATIONS TO GUIDE RESIDENTS

(June 30, 2009) The City of Frisco wants to remind residents that mandatory water restrictions for summer months take effect Wednesday, July 1.

The Water Management Plan, which emphasizes watering efficiently and reducing waste, was adopted by the city council in April.

This new plan encompasses a Drought Contingency Plan and a Water Efficiency Plan.
Each year, starting with the first day of Daylight Saving Time through June 30, two-day-per-week outdoor watering is recommended. Restrictions become mandatory during the summer months of July, August and September (July 1 - September 30). The plan prohibits outdoor watering between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. and between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Under the new Water Efficiency Plan, outdoor watering is also restricted to two days per week July 1 - September 30 and is based on residents' trash and recycling service schedule and an additional, designated day.

Water on your residential trash pick up day: Your additional watering day
is:
Monday Thursday
Tuesday Saturday
Wednesday Saturday
Thursday Sunday
Friday Tuesday

The complete details of the City of Frisco Water Management Plan are available online at www.friscotexas.gov/water.
The City of Frisco's Waterwise program is also helping citizens take the guesswork out of watering the lawn. A new edition to the Water Efficiency homepage: www.friscotexas.gov/water, is a table listing the weekly watering recommendations tailored for Frisco based on data from the city's weather station and four automatic rain gages located throughout the city.

"The greatest waste of water in the city is excessive use of irrigation systems," said Gary Hartwell, City of Frisco Public Works Director. "To be able to communicate the actual watering needs for the city's landscapes is very important to reducing water waste."

The watering recommendations are given in quarter-inch increments. To help residents even further, there is a link to explain how to set your automatic irrigation system to deliver the recommended amount of water.
First time violators of the Water Management Plan will receive a red door-hanger alerting them to expect a $25 fee on their next water bill. However, that $25 fee will be waived or credited on a water bill if the resident contacts the city's licensed irrigator for a free, irrigation 'check up' within 30 days. Additional violations may result in additional fees and disconnection of the resident's sprinkler system.

The City of Frisco's revised plan is based on the model water conservation and drought contingency plans adopted by the Board of Directors of the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) and all the requirements of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Frisco is a member city of NTMWD. State law required all cities to adopt and/or update their water conservation and drought contingency plans by May 1, 2009.

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