By submitted/mtrevino@cherryroad.com

The City of Alice water supply from Lake Corpus Christi has fallen below 86 feet.  As of Thursday, July 28, the Lake Corpus Christi water level is 85.9 feet.

According to the Drought Contingency Plan, this is considered a moderate water shortage and the City of Alice in now under Stage 2- Moderate drought restriction until further notice. The Stage 2 Moderate Drought Restriction goal is to achieve a 15 percent reduction in total water use. In addition to the Stage 1 restrictions, residents and businesses are now asked to practice the following:

(a) Irrigation of landscaped areas with hose-end sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems shall be limited to Sundays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, 8), and Saturdays and Wednesdays for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), and irrigation of landscaped areas is further limited to the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on designated watering days.  However, irrigation of landscaped areas is permitted anytime if it is by means of a hand-held hose, a faucet filled bucket or watering can of five gallons or less, or drip irrigation system.

(b) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane of other vehicle is prohibited except on designated watering days.  Such washing, when allowed, shall be done with a hand-held bucket or a hand-held hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle for quick rinses.  Vehicle washing may be done at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash or commercial service station.  Further, such washing may be exempted from these regulations if the health, safety, and welfare of the public are contingent upon frequent vehicle cleansing, such as garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport food and perishables.

(c)  Use of water to fill, refill, or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools, wading pools, or Jacuzzi-type pools is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

(d) Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited except where necessary to support aquatic life or where such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.    

(h)  The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:

Please keep in mind that in order to conserve the availability of our water supply and protect the integrity of the water facility, we must make every effort to conserve water regardless of the elevation at Lake Corpus Christi.  The City of Alice Drought Contingency Plan can be viewed at www.cityofalice.org.The adopted Drought Contingency Plan provides that any person who violates the plan is guilty of a misdemeanor and could be fined $100 and not more than $1,000 for each day of violation.

For additional information Drought Contingency Plan, call the Demetrio Duarte, Director of Public Works at 361-460-0644 or by email at demetrio.duarte@cityofalice.org.