Texas residents asked to 'immediately' conserve water amid drought

by 8DonCo Mon Jul 18, 2022 1:25 pm

Texas residents asked to 'immediately' conserve water amid drought, extreme heat

Residents in Texas are being asked to conserve water as drought conditions and a looming heat wave pose a potential shortage in the region's water supply.

The North Texas Municipal Water District has called for customers to reduce their water use "immediately," especially for outdoor water use, according to an alert released Saturday.

The utility company, which serves about 2 million people in northern Texas, including the city of Plano and North Dallas County, was forced to cease water production at one of its four treatment plants unexpectedly on Saturday to perform critical maintenance "to return the plant back to full water purification capacity," according to the alert.
That maintenance, combined with regional drought and "increasing discretionary outdoor use and irrigation," is what prompted the utility company to request a precautionary reduction in water usage until at least Wednesday.
Texas residents asked to 'immediately' conserve water amid drought Rockport-texas-heatwave-zuma-jt-220718_1658163872736_hpMain_16x9_992

Texas residents asked to 'immediately' conserve water amid drought Rockport-texas-heatwave-zuma-jt-220718_1658163872736_hpMain_16x9_992

The sun sets over grazing cattle in Rockport, Texas, on July 16, 2022, as an extreme heat wave affects the region.
Bryan Olin Dozier/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press

The majority of Texas is currently experiencing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Cities like Plano and Dallas are experiencing moderate to severe drought, a map showing drought conditions across the state released Thursday shows.

The request for conservation comes as temperatures reach all-time highs in parts of the U.S. and Europe. The Dallas and Fort Worth areas are expected to reach up to 110 degrees from Monday through Wednesday, forecasts show.

But even as the triple-digit temperatures move east, hot conditions and the continuation of the current drought are expected to remain for the rest of the summer, according to the utility company.

The critical maintenance will involve taking particles out of the water in six sedimentation basins used to treat the water and produce up to 210 million gallons per day, according to the utility company.
"We’re seeing a stress on our system because of peak demands with peak weather conditions," NTMWD Director of Communications Wayne Larson told ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.
Larson continued, "We are enduring a long, hot, dry summer. The forecast doesn’t seem like it will change. We are trying to manage and meet the rising peak demands of our customers."

Water is not the only utility service in the state facing pressure due to current climate conditions.
Last week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas called for Texans to voluntarily conserve electricity amid a surge of energy demands due to the scorching temperatures. Despite the heat, cloud cover at some points is limiting the state's access to essential solar-generated polar.

by nhatrangdep Mon Jul 18, 2022 2:01 pm

nhớ mấy năm trước Texas bị nóng kinh khủng ..mong rằng đợt này không đến nổi

nghĩ lại Seattle cũng dễ thở, nóng mấy ngày rồi mưa ..mấy ngày này tốn tiền tưới nước vì sợ cây chết ..hôm qua làm biếng vậy là tối mưa nhè nhẹ sáng ngủ dậy thấy cây cối ướt nhẹp ..thế là khỏi tốn tiền nước