WACO, Texas — City of Waco officials continue to plan for the future as their new Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan went into effect July 1.
Beginning July 1, Waco residents' watering schedules will be limited to 3 days per week (business and residential) broken up by address:
• Odd numbered addresses water Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday
• Even numbered addresses water Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
Residents are also asked not to water between the hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. or on Fridays.
"Demand for water resources has continued to grow and also demand on the capacity of our system," Waco Communications Specialist Jessica Emmett Sellers explained. "Not only are we trying to preserve the health and longevity of our water source, but also the health and longevity of our infrastructure."
In the City of Waco's 2019 plan, residents were only under water restrictions deemed by the City for low lake levels.
Sellers says this new plan will last for five years, but even with Lake Waco being 100% full, it won't stop any further water restrictions from being put in place if needed.
"As we're looking at getting hotter and drier, if we don't get significant rain, we'll see the lake levels go down," Sellers said. "If they get below the trigger levels that are set in that plan, then we'll start moving into those drought stages."
New U.S. Census data shows Central Texas towns are overall growing at a steady pace. Waco added just over 4,000 people from 2020.
The Waco City Council just recently approved phase one of the redevelopment project for Downtown Waco on Tuesday, June 18.
The redevelopment plan includes building a minor league baseball stadium, expansion of the river walk, building new living spaces, a convention center and a Waco hotel.
"Over the next five years, we'll definitely be collecting all of that data and using that to form the next plan to hopefully carry us for five more years into the future."
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