Friendswood asks residents to follow water limits during drought

Due to the lack of rains in the area and the current drought condition, the City of Friendswood is instating Stage 1 "Mild Water Shortage Conditions" of the City's Drought Contingency Plan.

High water demand affects water pressure and, as a result, pressure can quickly become dangerously low. During these low-pressure events, water may not be available in sufficient quantities and pressure to adequately fight a fire should one occur.

In order to ensure the safety of the community, Friendswood is initiating voluntary limitations on outdoor watering. Effective immediately, certain outdoor watering rules are in effect on a voluntary basis. Water customers will be asked to conserve water and adhere to the prescribed restrictions on certain water uses.

Residents are asked to limit the irrigation of landscaped areas to even-numbered days of the month for customers with a street address ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) and odd-numbered days of the month for water customers with a street address ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9), and to irrigate landscapes only between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight on designated watering days.

During these drought conditions, residents are also asked to temporarily suspend the use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicles, to not wash down any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts or other hard-surfaced areas, to not wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection, to not flush gutters or permit water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street, to not use water to fill, refill or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools or Jacuzzi-type pools, to not use water in a fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes except where necessary to support aquatic life, and to not use water from hydrants for construction purposes or any other purposes other than fire fighting. Also, residents must repair a controllable leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice to repair the leak.

All operations of Friendswood shall adhere to water use restrictions. Cooperation with this voluntary watering program will ensure the safety of the community and help to counteract the dry conditions.

For more information, contact the City of Friendswood Public Works department at 281-996-3380.