Drought Information
September 16, 2024
Travis County MUD No. 10 is in Stage 1 of its Drought Contingency Plan (DCP). Customers may irrigate twice per week, on their designated days and during the designated hours as shown on the chart below.
While there are no imposed limits for water use by residents under Stage I, the Board does ask everyone to conserve as much as possible. The LCRA is also in Stage 1 of its DCP for customers using raw water from the lake to irrigate. You can view their DCP for raw water users here, or by visiting the LCRA Domestic water use site.
Travis County MUD No.10 purchases raw water from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) via a contract and draws water out of Lake Travis to treat and produce potable drinking water for its residents. Such purchases are subject to LCRA’s DCP as well as the DCP of Travis County MUD No.10. The District recently amended its DCP to meet the requirements of the LCRA and still be protective of its water source. Click here to view the amended District’s DCP.
There are now 5 stages, each with its own set of trigger points and irrigation rules.
- Stage I Mild – Twice per week irrigation allowed on your designated days and during the designated hours. No longer voluntary. Monthly water allowance issued for HOAs/POAs. The district’s target reduction of consumption is 10%. This stage occurs when the combined storage levels drops below 1.1 million acre-feet. Criteria for termination – combined storage increases above 1.2 million acre-feet.
- Stage II Moderate – Is now once per week irrigation, allowed on your designated day and during the designated hours. Monthly water allowance issued for residents and REDUCED monthly water allowances for HOAs/POAs. The district’s target reduction of consumption is 20%. This stage occurs when the combined storage levels drops below 900,000 acre-feet and/or on March 1 or July 1 the combined storage levels drops below 1.1 million acre-feet and the cumulative prior three months total to those lakes is less than 25% percentile of historic inflows for the three month period. Criteria for termination –combined storage increases above 1.1 million acre-feet in which Stage I will be in effect.
- Stage III Severe – Once per week irrigation allowed on your designated day and during REDUCED designated hours. REDUCED monthly water allowances for residents and HOAs/POAs. The district’s target reduction of consumption is 25%. This stage occurs when the combined storage levels drops below 750,000 acre-feet. Criteria for termination –combined storage increases above 825,000 acre-feet in which Stage II will be in effect.
- Stage IV Critical – All outdoor watering and non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited. LCRA will assign the District with a 20% curtailment of monthly raw water use. REDUCED monthly water allowances for residents. No monthly water allowance for HOAs/POAs. The district’s target reduction of consumption is 30%. This stage occurs when the combined storage levels drops below 600,000 acre-feet. Criteria for termination –LCRA cancels a declaration of Drought Worse than Drought of Record or the District declares other water supply emergency in which Stage III will be in effect.
- Stage V Emergency – All outdoor watering and non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited. This stage occurs when the District’s water supply is disrupted and/or the LCRA is restricting access to supply, or other interruptions of supply. The district’s target reduction goal will be based on water availability to the district. Criteria for termination – The District cancels emergency and Stage IV will be in effect.
In addition, per LCRA mandate, the District has adopted a permanent twice per week irrigation rule in non-drought (normal conditions). When the lakes are full, residents and HOAs will not be allowed to irrigate more than twice per week.
Enforcement
- Stage I Violation – Fine is a premium rate of 125% of normal rates
- Stage II Violation – Fine is a premium rate of 150% of normal rates
- Stage III Violation – Resident fine is a premium rate of 200% of normal rates
- Stage III Violation – HOA fine is a premium rate of 400% of normal rates
- Stage IV Violation – Fine is a premium rate of 500% of normal rates
- Stage V Violation – Fine is a premium rate of 1000% of normal rates
Those who continue to be out of compliance and receive multiple violations can be subject to disconnection.
You can monitor the current storage in Lakes Buchanan and Travis by clicking the link below to visit the LCRA River Report.
Click here for the full Drought Contingency Plan