Water restrictions in effect

As summer approaches, bringing increased demands on shrinking water supplies in the drought stricken High Plains, water restrictions are the order of the day.

CNJ staff photo: Gabriel Monte

Local voluntary water restrictions ask residents not to water lawns between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Mondays.

Albuquerque began mandatory water restrictions April 1, effective through October, and Carlsbad initiated voluntary, stage one water restrictions the same day, according to news reports. Lubbock has also mandated water restrictions.

Clovis City Manager Joe Thomas said water consumption, which runs at about 45 percent of pumping capacity during the winter months, doubles in the summer, due to lawn watering.

According to a city ordinance, voluntary stage one water restrictions went into effect April 1.

The voluntary restrictions ask residents not to water lawns between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and on Mondays. Even numbered addresses are encouraged to water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and odd numbered addresses on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Thomas said the city's water supply is privately owned by EPCOR Water, which dictates water restrictions according to water levels. Thomas said city officials consult with EPCOR to determine water restriction parameters, but don't have "The ability or authority to make restrictions mandatory until it gets to a certain level" determined by EPCOR.

EPCOR's Brian Daly did not return messages seeking comment.

Clovis resident Carol Stevens feels a social responsibility to help with water conservation.

Stevens said keeping a green lawn while complying with watering restrictions "takes planning and dedication, but it can be done."

Debbie Dayhoff is also serious about water conservation. She put turf in her backyard four years ago.

"It cut our water bill in half," Dayhoff said. "You have to do what you can to help out," she said.

Portales mandated odd-even watering days last year according to City Manager Tom Howell. Violators were subject to being disconnected from city water supplies. Howell said demand jumps from 3 million gallons per day in winter to 6 or 7 million gallons per day during the summer months. Howell said the city had had about 80 percent compliance.

Howell said the city is still working on its water restriction policy for this year.

"We look at restrictions because we only have so many wells and they can only pump a certain amount of water per day," Howell said. "If demand is greater than the amount of water the wells can pump, we have a problem."

Howell said lawns are the main culprit for increased water demand during summer.

Howell said while water restrictions have been effective in balancing the city's demand for water with its pumping capacity, they won't help solve the long-term water shortages facing Roosevelt and Curry counties due to shrinking aquifers.