PhysOrg - 230 TX Public Water Systems Under Mandatory Rationing, 60 Asking For Voluntary Reductions

[hatrack]

The nation's most drought-stricken state is deep-frying under relentless 100-degree days and waterways are drying up, especially in the hardest-hit area covering about 350 miles across south-central Texas. That's making folks worried about the water supply - and how long it might last. "The water table's fallin' and fallin' and fallin,' like a whole lot of other people around here," said Wendell McLeod, general manager of Liberty Hill Water Supply Corp. and a 60-year resident of the town northwest of Austin. "This is the worst I can recall seeing it. I tell you, it's just pretty bleak."

There are 230 Texas public water systems under mandatory water restrictions, including those in and near San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and Austin. Another 60 or so have asked for voluntary cutbacks. Water levels are down significantly in lakes, rivers and wells around Texas.

Liberty Hill's Web site urges its 1,400 or so residents in all-red letters to stop using unnecessary water with this plea: "If we follow these strict guidelines, we may have drinking water." The town's shortage eased some with the arrival this week of 35,000 gallons a day from a nearby water system, but residents are still worried.

According to drought statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 77 of Texas' 254 counties are in extreme or exceptional drought, the most severe categories. No other state in the continental U.S. has even one area in those categories. John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas state climatologist at Texas A&M University, said he expects harsh drought conditions to last at least another month.

EDIT

http://www.physorg.com/news167825881.html

[Betsy Ross]

1. Welcome to the new environment. n/t

[kestrel91316]

2. Boy, it's sure a good thing there's no such thing as global warming.

[Javaman]

3. I'm in austin...

It's bad, really bad.

There are morons in my neighborhood that still insist on having green lawns. Starting this week, I start making calls to the water dept to rat them out.

dumb bastards. so much wasted water.

[Nihil]

4. Good luck ...

... both for yourself and for your attempts to get the vain & ignorant
to stop wasting water.
:pals: