Mary Suhm to Recommend Council Implement Stage 1 Watering Restrictions on December 12

On November 2, City Manager Mary Suhm told Unfair Park that the city would initiate Stage 1 water restrictions sooner than later; but exactly when, she would not say, only that the council would be briefed on the subject November 16. But in a memo sent to council moments ago,...

By Robert Wilonsky

November 11, 2011

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On November 2, City Manager Mary Suhm told Unfair Park that the city would initiate Stage 1 water restrictions sooner than later; but exactly when, she would not say, only that the council would be briefed on the subject November 16. But in a memo sent to council moments ago, Suhm was far more exact: Dallas Water Utilities, she says, has recommended going to mandatory two-day-a-week watering restrictions on Monday, December 12. And, she writes, "I concur with staff's recommendations."

The entire memo follows, but, Suhm writes: Dallas's six water-supply reservoirs are about 25 percent depleted. And that, coupled with the ongoing historic drought and construction at the Eastside water treatment plant that "will temporarily reduce the amount of water in 2012 that Dallas can treat and supply to our customers," necessitates the move within the month.

"Without significant rain, and even with intense conservation efforts in the area, our reservoirs will continue to be depleted by consumption and evaporation," she writes. "Implementation of Stage 1 on Monday, December 12, 2011 will help to alleviate the depletion of the lakes, and help extend our water supplies."

Nov 11, 2011

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