Posted: June 20, 2006
The City of Plano is initiating mandatory once-weekly outdoor watering
restrictions effective June 19, 2006. This is the second in a three-part
consecutive series explaining those restrictions and providing
information on your watering day and related outdoor watering
information.
It’s Quick…it’s easy! Locate your watering day on the zone map. Remember
your watering hours. Continue to enjoy a healthy landscape.
Let’s find your watering day! Check the zone map below for your location
and water day, which runs for the 24-hour period from 12:00am to
11:59pm.
You can water anytime on your watering day except during the daylight
hours between 9:00am – 6:59pm, when water is most likely to evaporate
from the heat of the sun.
Once weekly watering will maintain a healthy lawn. In fact, experts say
it promotes the strong root system a Texas lawn needs to flourish.
Raising your lawn mower to a 3” mowing height can also give your yard a
boost by providing an extra inch or two of “shade” for the growing
underlying turf.
While grass can flourish with weekly watering we realize certain
flowering plants and shrubs cannot. You are allowed to hand-water your
potted plants and landscape beds on any day, except between the hours of
9:00am – 6:59pm. You must use a hand-held hose that is equipped with a
shut off nozzle. You cannot leave the hose running unattended.
We encourage you to delay new landscaping at this time, but if you are
installing new plants, consult your plant supplier about the use of
drought tolerant plants. They are attractive, hearty and thrive in the
hot Texas sun! Use mulch in your landscape beds to decrease water
evaporation and provide root protection.
Excessive water run-off is prohibited. This is when water runs for more
than ten feet off your property onto adjacent properties, normally
pooling onto concrete areas, such as streets, sidewalks, etc. Water
run-off is a sign you are over-watering your landscape.
What about filling your swimming pool or spa? Water used in maintaining
swimming pools is drastically less than that used in landscape
irrigation. You can maintain your swimming pool at its proper
operational levels, but if water levels fall more than usual check for
leaks. The construction of new pools or spa installations is not
prohibited and draining and filling a pool for repairs is also
authorized. Filling a pond or lake with potable water is prohibited.
How about your foundation? Our Texas soil does make it tricky in the dry
summer months for some foundations, which may crack when the soil around
them separates. You are allowed to water your foundation, if needed,
using a soaker hose (a hose with small holes in it that allows water to
seep slowly out and absorb into the soil.) Again, avoid the hours
between 9:00am – 6:59pm.
Can you wash your vehicle or the family dog? Certainly! We encourage the
use of commercial car washes for your vehicle, as they recycle their
water and conserve our resources, but if you prefer your home, try
washing from a bucket then hosing off your vehicle. Be sure your hose is
equipped with a shut-off nozzle to prevent waste and watch for excessive
water run-off.
Plano will begin enforcement of its water restrictions on June 19, 2006,
with criminal penalties imposed for violation of the City’s Drought
Contingency Plan, Ordinance 2006-5-23, including terminating irrigation
water service for multiple violations. Keep in mind that a power surge
or a power failure can cause your automatic sprinkler system to return
to its default settings. Regularly check and change your controller
batteries. Learn how your automatic sprinkler system works and ensure
you have a back-up person who can also operate the system in the event
you are away and a reset is needed.