(a) Irigation of residential 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).  Irrigation of residential landscaped areas shall be limited to designated watering days between the  hours of 12:00 midnight and 10:00 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and 12:00 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.

 (b) Irrigation of green belts, esplanades and sports field shall be limited to Mondays and Fridays between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight

 (c) 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 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

 (d) 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 12:00 midnight and 10:00 a.m. and between 8 p.m. and 12:00 midnight.

 (e) 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 re-circulation system.

 (f) Use of water from hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting, related activities, or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare.  The use of water for construction purposes from designated fire hydrants under special permit is to be discontinued.

 (g) The watering of golf course tees is prohibited unless the golf course utilizes a water source other than that provided by the District.

 (h) All restaurants are prohibited from serving water to patrons except upon request of the patron.

 (i)   The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:

 (1)  wash down of any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas;

(2)  use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection;

(3)  use of water for dust control;

(4)  flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and

(5)  failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice directing the repair of such leak(s).

 Stage 4 – A critical water shortage condition exists within the District

 MANDATORY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT

 (a) Irrigation of residential 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).  Irrigation of residential landscaped areas shall be limited to designated watering days between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 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 is prohibited at all times.

 (b) Irrigation of green belts, esplanades and sports field shall be limited to Mondays and Fridays between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight.

 (c) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is absolutely prohibited.

 (d) The filling, refilling, or adding of water to swimming pools, wading pools, and jacuzzi-type pools is prohibited.

 (e) 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 re-circulation system.

 (f) Use of water from hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting, related activities, or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare.  The use of water for construction purposes from designated fire hydrants under special permit is to be discontinued.

 (g) The watering of golf course tees is prohibited unless the golf course utilizes a water source other than that provided by the District.

 (h) All restaurants are prohibited from serving water to patrons except upon request of the patron.

 (i) The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:

(1) wash down of any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas;

(2) use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection;

(3) use of water for dust control;

(4) flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and

(5) failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice directing the repair of such leak(s).

 (j) No application 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 approved, and time limits for approval 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 conditions exist within the District

 MANDATORY WATER USE RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT

 (a) Irrigation of all residential landscaped areas is prohibited.

 (b) irrigation of green belts, esplanades and sports fields is prohibited.

 (c) Use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle is absolutely prohibited.

 (d) The filling, refilling, or adding of water to swimming pools, wading pools, and jacuzzi-type pools is prohibited.

 (e) 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 re-circulation system.

 (f) Use of water from hydrants shall be limited to fire fighting, related activities, or other activities necessary to maintain public health, safety, and welfare.  The use of water for construction purposes from designated fire hydrants under special permit is to be discontinued.

 (g) The watering of golf course tees is prohibited unless the golf course utilizes a water source other than that provided by the District.

 (h) All restaurants are prohibited from serving water to patrons except upon request of the patron.

 (i) The following uses of water are defined as non-essential and are prohibited:

(1) wash down of any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas;

        (2) use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection;

        (3) use of water for dust control;

        (4) flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and 

        (5) failure to repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice directing the repair

            of such leak(s).

 (j) No application 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 approved, and time limits for approval of such applications are hereby suspended for such time as this drought response stage or a higher-numbered stage shall be in effect.

 Failure to comply with the Water Use Restrictions is deemed a violation of the Drought Contingency Plan and may result in the termination of water and sewer service to  your property.  Water and sewer service will not be restored until noncompliance is discontinued and a reconnect fee of $100 is paid.

 The Board of Directors appreciates your cooperation and perseverance during a Conservation Condition.  Once a Conservation Condition ends, we will notify you and you may then return to normal usage.  If conditions should worsen, you will be notified of more stringent restrictions, to ensure the availability of water in your community.

 Comments or questions can be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 TWUD Water Conservation Tips

 Save Money and Water - Think Water Conservation!

 NOTE! The Terranova West Municipal Utilities District Board of Directors does not endorse, recommend, or benefit financially from any of the products, websites, or services noted below.  The information provided is intended to raise the level of awareness regarding the benefits of water conservation for residents of Terranova West. 

Inside your home

1. Check your toilet for leaks. Put a little food coloring into your toilet tank and let it sit for 15 minutes. If the color appears in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. A leaky toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day.

2. Bathroom facilities claim nearly 75% of the water used. An ultra-flow flush toilet can cut your family’s total indoor water use by as much as 20%. Try showering the “Navy Way”. Just get wet, turn off the shower while soaping up and scrubbing, and turn it back on briefly to rinse off. Super low-flow showerheads can be installed to deliver as little as 1.25 gallons per minute, as opposed to the standard 3.2 gallons.

3. Don’t use your toilet as a garbage can; put dirty tissues, napkins or paper towels in the wastebasket.

4. Check your sink, lavatory and shower faucets for leaks. A dripping faucet can waste up to 2,000 gallons of water a year. Install sink aerators to reduce the flow of water. You could save up to 240 gallons per month!

5. Turn off the faucet. This may sound simple, but gallons of water are wasted daily while people wash dishes, clean vegetables, shave and brush their teeth.

6. When you rinse off vegetables and fruits, plug up the sink instead of using running water.

7. Plug up the sink when you wash dishes by hand, as well. When you’re finished, turn on the garbage disposal as you pull the plug.

8. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Allowing the faucet to run until the water feels cool wastes water.

9. Select the appropriate water level for the size of the load of laundry. Most washers now offer preset water levels for small, medium and large loads. Wait until you have a full load of clothes before you run the washing machine whenever possible.

10. Maximize appliance efficiency by making sure dishwashers and clothes washers are fully loaded before starting them. Do this and you can save another 15 gallons per load for dishwashers or 55 gallons per load for clothes washers.

11. If you have a fish tank, use the dirty water from the tank on your houseplants. It’s rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which gives you a good fertilizer.

12. In the winter, avoid the risk of frozen water pipes that can burst. Eliminate drafts in your home and insulate pipes with insulation wraps that can be easily purchased at your local hardware or home store. It’s also a good idea to locate and tag your water shut-off valve so you can find it quickly in an emergency. Also, make sure your meter cover is in good condition. Please contact our service center at 281 353-9809 if your meter cover needs attention.

Outside your home, Lawn, Garden, and Pool

13. Approximately 50-70% of household water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens, so make the most of the water you use. Never water during the hottest times of the day or when it’s windy. Turn off your automatic sprinklers when it’s raining. By planting grasses and shrubs that use little water, you can reduce your watering by up to 50%.When landscaping, use plants that require little water. You can decorate creatively with interesting objects that need no water at all, such as rocks, bricks, benches, gravel, and deck areas.

14. Water lawns and gardens once a week. They only need 2.5 centimeters of water a week, including rainfall. Avoid watering on windy days. Water early in the morning for best results. Early-morning watering is also the best way to avoid the peak-demand periods.

15. Be careful to water only the lawn or garden, not the street or sidewalk. Instead of letting the water run when you wash your car, wet the car thoroughly, then turn off the hose while you wash with soapy water from a bucket. Use the hose again for a final rinse. A trigger nozzle is best because it turns off automatically.

16. Hosing down your driveway for 5 minutes wastes 25 gallons of water. Clean it with a broom or blower instead.

17. If you have a pool, cover it. Evaporation can make hundreds, even thousands of gallons of water disappear. Covering the pool will cut the loss by 90%.

Washing the Car, at Home vs. a Car Wash

18. Few people realize that washing our cars in our driveways is one of the most environmentally un-friendly chores we can do around the house. Unlike household waste water that enters sewers or septic systems and undergoes treatment before it is discharged into the environment, what runs off from your car goes right into storm drains -- and eventually into rivers, streams, creeks and wetlands where it poisons aquatic life and wreaks other ecosystem havoc. After all, that water is loaded with a witch’s brew of gasoline, oil and residues from exhaust fumes as well as the harsh detergents being used for the washing itself.

Commercial Car Washes Treat Waste Water.  Federal laws in both the U.S. and Canada require commercial carwash facilities to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged back into the great outdoors. And commercial car washes use computer controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps that minimize water usage. Many also recycle and re-use the rinse water. An industry group representing commercial car wash companies, reports that automatic car washes use less than half the water of even the most careful home car washer. According to one report, washing a car at home typically uses between 80 and 140 gallons of water, while a commercial car wash averages less than 45 gallons per car.

Think Green When Washing Your Car.  If you must wash your car at home, choose a biodegradable soap specifically formulated for automotive parts. Or you can make your own biodegradable car wash by mixing one cup of liquid dishwashing detergent and 3/4 cup of powdered laundry detergent (each should be chlorine- and phosphate-free and non-petroleum- based) with three gallons of water. This concentrate can then be used sparingly with water over exterior car surfaces. Even when using green-friendly cleaners, it is better to avoid the driveway and instead wash your car on your lawn or over dirt so that the toxic waste water can be absorbed and neutralized in soil instead of flowing directly into storm drains or open water bodies. Also, try to sop up or disperse those sudsy puddles that remain after you’re done. They contain toxic residues and can tempt thirsty animals.

Waterless Car Wash Products are Good for Small Jobs.  One way to avoid such problems altogether is to wash your car using any number of waterless formulas available, which are especially handy for spot cleaning and are applied via spray bottle and then wiped off with a cloth.

Eating Out

19. Every glass of water brought to your table in a restaurant requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass. Since 70 million meals are served each day in the U.S. restaurants, we would save more than 26 million gallons of water if only one person in four declined the complimentary glassful.

Below are just some of the websites where addition information on water conservation can be found.

If clicking on a link does not take you to the website, copy and paste the link into your web browser .

Alliance for Water Efficiency

http://www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org/default.aspx

Environmental Protection Agency – “WaterSense” Program

http://www.epa.gov/watersense/

Rainbird Water Conservation Tips

http://www.rainbird.com/iuow/tips/tips_homeowners.htm

Northwest Harris County Regional Water Authority Water Conservation Tips

http://www.stopthedrop.org/ http://www.nhcrwa.com/conservation/simple-tips.html

Texas A&M – Tips on Water Conservation and the Planting of Native Trees and Shrubs

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/xeriscape/xeriscape.html

Hayes Utility Corporation South

http://www.haysutility.com/