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Water Conservation
Killeen City Council has adopted a Drought Contingency and Water Conservation Plan. The plan outlines regulations and restrictions that will help conserve the available water supply and protect the integrity of water supply facilities. The City Manager is responsible for monitoring water supply and/or demand conditions regularly to determine when conditions warrant initiation or termination of Plan stages.
Public notification of initiation or termination of stages of the Drought Contingency and Water Conservation Plan will be made via this website, local media, social media and other means to ensure the public is informed.
Voluntary water conservation is advised at all times.
*The City of Killeen is in Stage 2 of the Water Conservation Plan as of August 1, 2023. Please read the information below for details.*
Water Conservation Plan
STAGE 1 – Mild Water Shortage Conditions
1. Water customers are requested to voluntarily limit the irrigation of landscaped areas to Sundays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8), and Saturdays and Wednesdays for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9).
2. Water customers are requested to voluntarily limit the irrigation of landscaped areas only between the hours of midnight to 10:00 am or 8:00 pm to midnight on designated watering days.
3. Water customers are requested to practice water conservation and to minimize or discontinue water use for non-essential purposes.
STAGE 2 – Moderate Water Shortage Conditions (Frequently Asked Questions)
Under threat of penalty for violation, the following water use restrictions shall apply to all persons:
1. Hose-end sprinkler systems or automatic irrigation of landscaped areas shall be limited to Sundays and Thursdays for customers with a street address ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8), and Saturdays and Wednesdays for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9). These types of irrigation are further limited to the irrigation of landscaped areas only between the hours of midnight to 10:00 am or 8:00 pm to midnight on designated watering days.
2. Irrigation of landscaped areas is permitted at any time if it is by means of hand-held hose, a faucet filled bucket or watering can of five (5) gallons are less, or drip irrigation system.
3. Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours of midnight to 10:00 am or 8:00 pm to midnight 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 is contingent upon frequent vehicle cleansing, such as garbage trucks and vehicles used to transport food and perishables.
4. 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 midnight to 10:00 am or 8:00 pm to midnight.
5. 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.
6. Use of water from hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting and related activities, or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare, except that use of water from designated fire hydrants for construction purposes may be allowed under special permit from the City of Killeen.
7. All restaurants are prohibited from serving water to its patrons except when requested by the patron.
8. Use of water for the irrigation of golf course greens, tees, and fairways is prohibited except on designated watering days between the hours of midnight to 10:00 am or 8:00 pm to midnight. However, if the golf course uses a water source other than potable water, the facility shall not be subject to these regulations.
9. The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:
a. Wash down of any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard- surfaced areas.
b. Use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection;
c. Use of water for dust control;
d. Flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and
e. Failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice by the City directing the repair of such leak(s).
STAGE 3 – Severe Water Shortage Conditions
All requirements of Stage 2 shall remain in effect during Stage 3 except:
1. Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be limited to designated watering days between the hours of midnight to 7:00 am or 9:00 pm to midnight and shall be by means of hand-held hoses, hand-held buckets, drip irrigation, or permanently installed automatic sprinkler system only. The use of hose-end sprinklers is prohibited at all times.
2. The use of water for construction purposes from designated fire hydrants is prohibited, even where previously allowed.
STAGE 4 – Critical Water Shortage
All requirements of Stage 2 and 3 shall remain in effect during Stage 4 except:
1. Irrigation of landscaped areas shall be limited to designated watering days between the hours of midnight to 6:00 am or 10:00 pm to midnight and shall be by means of hand-held hoses, hand-held buckets, or drip irrigation only. The use of hose-end sprinklers or permanently installed automatic sprinkler systems are prohibited at all times.
2. Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle not occurring on the premises of a commercial car wash and commercial service stations and, not in the immediate interest of public health, safety, and welfare is prohibited. Further, such vehicle washing at commercial car washes and commercial service stations shall occur only between the hours of 6:00 am and 10:00 am and between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
3. The filling, refilling, or adding of water to swimming pools, wading pools, and jacuzzi-type pools is prohibited.
4. Operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited except where necessary to support aquatic life or when such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.
5. No applications for new, additional, expanded, or increased-in-size water service connections, meters, service lines, pipeline extensions, mains, or water service facilities of any kind shall be allowed or approved, and time limits for approval or installation of such applications are hereby suspended for such time as this drought response stage or a higher numbered stage shall be in effect.
STAGE 5 – Emergency Water Shortage Conditions
All requirements of Stage 2, 3, and 4 shall remain in effect during Stage 5 except:
1. Irrigation of landscaped areas is absolutely prohibited.
2. Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is absolutely prohibited.
3. All outside water uses are prohibited, except for fighting fires and for animals.
20 WAYS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOU USE
- Repair all leaky faucets, fixtures, and pipes at your residence.
- Install flow restrictors on faucets.
- Do not leave water running continuously during dish washing, shaving, brushing of teeth and while washing hands.
- Run the dishwasher and clothes washer only for full loads, or utilize the lowest water setting for small loads.
- Use the garbage disposal sparingly or start a compost pile for vegetable scraps.
- Scrape dishes clean instead of rinsing them clean.
- Rinse vegetables and fruit in a sink or pan filled with water instead of running them under running water.
- Reuse water from rinsing vegetables for watering plants.
- Keep container of cold water in the refrigerator, as opposed to running the faucet to get cold water.
- Install a low-flow shower head to limit the amount of water dispensed per minute.
- Reduce shower time and/or install a cutoff valve.
- Reduce the amount of water used for bathing by 1 to 2 inches.
- Take a shower not a bath.
- Never use the toilet to dispose of cleaning tissues, cigarette butts or other trash.
- Water lawns only when needed, use a soil moisture meter to determine the need to water.
- Do not over water your yard; over watering results in water run off.
- Use sprinklers that produce large drops of water instead of those that produce a mist.
- Set automatic sprinklers to provide thorough, but infrequent, watering (1 inch every 5 days).
- Utilize rain shutoff devices to prevent watering during rain.
- Use drip irrigation systems for bedded plants, trees, shrubs, or turn the hose upside down so that water penetrates directly into the ground.