Pearland urging residents to conserve water

PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- Pearland is the latest community in the Houston area asking residents to conserve water in response to drought conditions.

Some Pearland residents saw this coming. Most realize it's a pretty stubborn drought and the city of Pearland's assistant city manager tells us it's watched its water usage climb. One o'clock in at the afternoon and the sprinklers in Pearland are at full throttle. One zone after another, drought conditions, for months now, are taking their toll on southeast Texas, the likes of which some don't recall. "We've lived here 11 years and never in the last 11 years," Pearland resident Angela Hale said. But the midday watering is no longer what the city of Pearland wants to see. Pearland administration is now calling for voluntary water restrictions, something Hale is already on board with. "We always watered at 6 o'clock in the morning Monday, Wednesday, Friday," Hale said. The city of Pearland has seen is water usage surge enough over the last several days to enact their standard drought contingency plan. "When we reach three consecutive days of 70 percent or more of water production, then we go into what's called Stage One," Pearland Assistant City Manager John Branson said. The city of Pearland is asking residents to voluntarily reduce outdoor watering to between 6 and 10am or 8 and 10pm Monday through Friday. On top, they urge residents with odd-number addresses to water in odd-number calendar days and even-number addresses to water in even-number days. Citizens of Pearland are also asked to refrain from watering on the weekends. The upside, Hale says, is a much lighter water bill. "As much as people are having to water, your water bill goes up too, so I think keeping your own bills in check with their requests, it all matches," Hale said. If the drought persists for several more weeks and pushing water consumption increases to at least three consecutive days of 80 percent or more then restrictions will be mandatory; but the city is in the low 70's right now and officials don't foresee that happening. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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pearland, local, erik barajas

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