Georgetown Utilities & Customer Care

Water System Failure – Emergency

Usage Target – 50% reduction of overall system water use

Emergency conditions are implemented when:

1. Water demand approaches a reduced delivery capacity for all or part of the system, creating a situation in which water system demand exceeds water system capacity, for an extended length of time, as determined by the General Manager;
2. A major water line break, or a pump or other system failure occurs, which causes a loss in the capability to provide treated water service; or
3. A natural or man-made contamination of the water supply.

Customer and City Actions

• Assess the severity of the problem and identify the actions needed and time required to resolve the problem;
• Implement immediate measures to notify the public as to water system or water source failure;
• Severely restrict or prohibit, as appropriate, all water system use in the affected service area;
• Arrange for the emergency purchase of water from alternate sources for which there exists the proper agreements for such purchases; and
• Customers will discontinue or severely restrict all use of potable water from GUS water system until notified by City that a safe and adequate water for public use is restored.

Usage Target – 50 percent reduction of overall system water use.

Phase 3 Conditions are implemented when:

1. An event occurs where water demand exceeds the supply and severe conservation measures are required to maintain the ability to provide the proper level of service as determined by the GM, or designee.

Customer and City Actions.

• Increase efforts to inform the public on water conservation strategies.
• Increase detection and repair of water leaks in the distribution system.
• Suspend hydrant testing.
• Prohibit all water waste.
• Prohibit all non-essential water use.
• Prohibit landscape irrigation water use.
• Prohibit or limit as deemed necessary all industrial water use.
• The City shall arrange for the emergency purchase of water from utilities for which there exists proper agreements for such purchase.

Usage Target – 35 percent reduction of overall system water use.

Phase 2 Conditions are implemented when:

1. The water level in the City’s No. 1 well drops to, or stabilizes below 40 feet above the pump suction for a period of more than five consecutive days.
2. Lake Georgetown level drops to 765 feet (above mean sea level), and no rainfall or other inflow predicted, and the Williamson County Raw Water Line is unavailable or is not capable of maintaining Lake Georgetown Level above 760 feet under the current demand.
3. An event occurs where water demand exceeds the supply and aggressive conservation measures will maintain the ability to provide the proper level of service as determined by the General Manager.

Customer and City Actions

• Increase efforts to inform the public on water conservation strategies.
• Increase detection and repair of water leaks in the distribution system.
• Suspend hydrant testing.
• Prohibit all water waste.
• Suspend the use of potable water for the following City municipal operations:
  • Vehicle washing.
  • Street cleaning.
  • Landscape irrigation in City parks (does not include athletic fields) except by handheld hose or drip irrigation.
• Prohibit all non-essential water use except:
  • The addition of water to a pool or splash pad where necessary to maintain the water purification system in service or to maintain structural integrity of the pool.
  • The washing of vehicles or boats at a commercial car wash or service station.
• Restrict landscape irrigation use to the evening (7:00 p.m. to midnight) and morning hours (midnight to noon) in accordance with an irrigation schedule that provides for no landscape irrigation on Monday with landscape irrigation permitted no more than one day per week with the day of week and irrigation start time specified based upon customer address.

Usage Target – 20 percent reduction of overall system water use.

Phase 1 Conditions are implemented when:

1. The water level in the City’s No.1 well drops to, or stabilizes below 50 feet above the pump suction for a period of more than five days.
2. Lake Georgetown water level drops to 770 feet (mean sea level), and no rainfall or other inflow is predicted, and the Williamson County Raw Water Line is unavailable or is not capable of maintaining Lake Georgetown level above 765 feet at current demand.
3. An event occurs where water demand exceeds the supply and moderate conservation measures will maintain the ability to provide the proper level of service as determined by the GM, or designee.

Customer and City Actions

• Increase detection and repair of water leaks in the distribution system.
• Suspend hydrant testing.
• Prohibit all water waste.
• Restrict landscape irrigation use to the use of automatic irrigation systems or hose-end sprinklers during the evening (7:00 p.m. to midnight) and morning hours (midnight to noon) in accordance with an irrigation schedule that provides for no landscape irrigation on Monday with landscape irrigation permitted no more than two days per week with the day of week and irrigation start time specified based upon customer address.
• Landscape irrigation use is permitted at any time, if it is used:
  • By means of a hand-held hose, soaker hoses, or drip irrigation systems.
  • At a commercial plant nursery.
  • During the testing of new irrigation system installation or existing irrigation system repair.