In order to conserve the available water supply by providing
a consistent mechanism for preventing the waste of water resources,
the following regulations and restrictions on the delivery and consumption
of water are hereby adopted.
(Ordinance 6110, sec. 1, adopted 4/3/07; Ordinance 6781, sec. 1, adopted 6/2/15; Ordinance 7071 adopted 6/18/19; Ordinance 7522 adopted 4/16/2024)
In this article:
An integrated system that enables secure two-way communication
between City of Garland utilities and customers. The system collects,
stores, and presents utility usage data in real time identifying use
trends that can be used to improve efficiency.
The Code of Ordinances of the City, as amended.
Those practices, techniques, and technologies that reduce
the consumption of water, reduce the loss or waste of water, improve
efficiency in the use of water, or increase the recycling and reuse
of water so that an adequate supply of water is conserved and made
available for future or alternative uses.
Any person (as that term is defined in section 10.03 of this Code) using or receiving water supplied by the city.
Each document governing the establishment, maintenance, or
operation of a residential subdivision, planned unit development,
condominium or townhouse regime, or any similar planned development
(i.e. a homeowners association (HOA)).
The managing director of water, wastewater, and water recycling
of the city, his or her designee, or such other individual to whom
the city manager has appointed the duties and authority under this
article.
A method of landscape irrigation involving irrigation tubing
that provides water directly to the roots of the plants.
The use of water by an entity dedicated to public service,
such as a school, university, church, hospital, nursing home, or government
facility. All facilities dedicated to public service are considered
institutional regardless of ownership.
Water used for the irrigation and maintenance of landscaped
areas, whether publicly or privately owned, including residential
and commercial lawns, gardens, golf courses, parks, and rights-of-way
and medians.
The sum total of water diverted into a water supply system
for residential, commercial, public, and institutional uses divided
by actual population served.
The use of potable water provided by a public water supplier
as well as the use of treated wastewater effluent for residential,
commercial, public, and institutional applications.
Reclaimed municipal wastewater that has been treated to a
quality that meets or exceeds the minimum standards of chapter 210
of the Texas Administrative Code and is used for lawn irrigation,
industrial purposes, or other nonpotable purposes.
Any commercial property that uses one million gallons of
water or more for irrigation purposes in a single calendar year.
The total gallons sold for residential use by a public water
supplier divided by the residential population served and then divided
by the number of the days in the year.
The authorized use for one or more beneficial purposes of
water that remains unconsumed after the water is used for the original
purpose of use and before that water is either disposed of or discharged
or otherwise allowed to flow into a watercourse, lake, or other body
of state-owned water.
A type of water hose made of porous material that allows
water to seep out of the hose without spraying water into the air.
The total amount of water diverted and/or pumped for potable
use divided by the total permanent population divided by the days
of the year. Diversion volumes of reuse as defined in 30 T.A.C. 288.1
shall be credited against total diversion volumes for the purposes
of calculating Total GPCD for targets and goals.
The difference between the amount of water delivered by the
city's wholesale water supplier and the amount of water sold
by the city. Unaccounted-for water can include inaccurate or incomplete
recordkeeping, meter error, unmetered uses (i.e. firefighting), leaks,
and water theft or unauthorized use.
Measures of water consumption on a per capita basis set by
the city as a benchmark for evaluating the effectiveness of the water
conservation plan.
A strategy or combination of strategies for reducing the
volume of water withdrawn from a water supply source, for reducing
the loss or waste of water, for maintaining or improving the efficiency
in the use of water, for increasing the recycling and reuse of water,
and for preventing the pollution of water. A water conservation plan
is required by title 30, part 1, chapter 288, subchapter A, rule 288.2
of the Texas Administrative Code.
(Ordinance 6110, sec. 1, adopted 4/3/07; Ordinance 6305, sec. 7, adopted 4/7/09; Ordinance 6781, sec. 1, adopted 6/2/15; Ordinance 7071 adopted 6/18/19; Ordinance
7522 adopted 4/16/2024)
The director shall endeavor to set water conservation goals
for the city based on data collected and reported in the water utility
profile filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (or
successor agency) as required or provided by law. The profile shall
include information regarding population and customer data, water
usage data, water supply system data, and wastewater system data.
The director shall ensure that a copy of the most current filed report
is available for public inspection and copying.
(Ordinance 6110, sec. 1, adopted 4/3/07; Ordinance 6305, sec. 8, adopted 4/7/09; Ordinance 6685, sec. 1, adopted 4/1/14; Ordinance 6781, sec. 1, adopted 6/2/15; Ordinance 7071 adopted 6/18/19; Ordinance 7522 adopted 4/16/2024)
Water conservation goals are established to provide a reduction
and/or stabilization in the per capita water use over current water
use trends. These goals can be realized from incorporation of water
savings measures. The planning goals for the city include the following:
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Total municipal per capita water use at or below
130.0 total GPCD by the year 2029 and at or below 125.0 total GPCD
by the year 2034. Municipal per capita water use shall be calculated
on an annual basis.
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(Ordinance 6110, sec. 1, adopted 4/3/07; Ordinance 6305, sec. 9, adopted 4/7/09; Ordinance 6685, sec. 2, adopted 4/1/14; Ordinance 6781, sec. 1, adopted 6/2/15; Ordinance 7071 adopted 6/18/19; Ordinance 7522 adopted 4/16/2024)
The following measures shall be implemented as a part of the
water conservation plan in an effort to track water use and control
water losses.
(1)
Water source metering.
The director shall endeavor to
take monthly meter readings at each pumping station that pumps water
into the city's water distribution system. These meters shall
be within an accuracy of plus or minus 5 percent. These readings shall
be recorded in a recordkeeping data base.
(2)
Enforcement measures.
The city has established criminal
penalties and provided for the assessment of service fees for tampering
with, bypassing, or diverting water distributed by the water department.
(3)
Universal metering.
The director shall endeavor to meter
all water connections to the city's water distribution system
including all residential, commercial, and industrial users, parks,
public areas, and municipal facilities; provided however, that the
director need not attempt to meter connections for water uses which
are not from permanently metered locations, such as water used in
fire protection, new construction, line flushing, maintenance flushing,
storm sewer flushing, jet truck filling, fire hydrant flushing, and
other required system flushing.
(4)
Meter repair and replacement.
The director shall endeavor
to test and repair meters on an as needed basis. All meters shall
be periodically replaced on an as needed basis.
(5)
Control of unaccounted-for water.
The director shall
endeavor to maintain unaccounted-for water below 12 percent, as recommended
by the city's water purveyor, the North Texas Municipal Water
District (NTMWD). The amount of unaccounted-for water shall be monitored
on an annual basis. If the amount of unaccounted-for water exceeds
12 percent, the director shall take appropriate actions to reduce
the amount of unaccounted-for water. Actions may include the following:
(7)
Leak detection and repair.
The director shall endeavor,
on a continual basis, to monitor water lines by visual inspection
and sound amplifiers on a daily basis for potential water leaks. Satellite
inspection shall be used on an as needed basis. Water lines shall
be upgraded and replaced as necessary to correct any deficiencies.
AMI shall be used to provide the public with information regarding
their water usage.
(8)
Public education and information.
The director shall
endeavor to provide the public with information on water conservation
with activities such as:
(a)
Publication of information in a newspaper of general circulation
in the city; publication in the "city press"; posting information
on the city's internet website; posting information on the city's
social media channels; and including inserts in utility bills highlighting
water conservation material;
(b)
Water conservation presentations at schools and other meetings
at the request of the organization;
(c)
Providing water conservation material at city public buildings;
(d)
Encouraging the use of AMI to monitor leaks and water usage
when available;
(e)
Encouraging the use of native, drought-tolerant, or adaptive
plants;
(f)
Promoting the use of drip irrigation and rain barrels;
(g)
Offering, as funding permits, educational water audits to water
customers on a first-come, first-served basis.
(h)
Promoting the use of regional evapotranspiration-based weekly
watering advice through the online platforms "Water My Yard" and "Water
is Awesome."
(9)
Conservation water rate structure.
The city has implemented
a three-tier increasing block rate structure to discourage waste of
water replacing the existing uniform rate type structure.
(10)
Water reuse and recycling.
Treated wastewater
plant effluent is reused at the city's two wastewater treatment
facilities for plant wash down, on-site plant irrigation, and chlorination/dechlorination.
Additional reuse includes diversion of treated effluent to a local
power plant and NTMWD. The director shall continue to identify additional
opportunities for treated effluent reuse.
(11)
Water conserving water fixtures.
(a)
Section 30.80 of this Code adopts the plumbing code, which requires new toilets, showerheads, and faucets that are installed to meet reduced water use requirements. Use of these new fixtures in new construction and in remodeling will reduce water demand.
(b)
As funding permits, conservation credits shall be applied to
a customer's utility bill when proof of purchase and a signed
application has been received for the purchase of up to three (3)
new toilets and up to one (1) new clothes washing machine.
(12)
Wholesale water customers.
Any contract that the
director may enter into for the wholesale sale of water after the
adoption of the water conservation plan shall include the requirements
that the wholesale customer develop and implement a water conservation
plan that meets the requirements of title 30, part 1, chapter 288,
subchapter A, rule 288.2 of the Texas Administrative Code.
(13)
Water service in food service establishments.
It is an offense for an owner or employee of a food service establishment
to serve water to a patron unless requested by the patron.
(14)
Reservoir system operation plan.
The city purchases
all of its water from NTMWD, which utilizes system operation. The
city does not have its own surface water supplies for which to implement
a system operation plan.
(15)
Monitoring effectiveness of the water conservation plan.
The city monitors the effectiveness of the water conservation
plan on an annual basis through yearly reports and updates the plan
every five (5) years.
(16)
Conservation measures relating to lawn and landscape irrigation.
Lawn and landscape irrigation practices within the city can
cause a waste of valuable water resources. The purpose of this subsection
is to assure that water be used for lawn and landscape irrigation
in a manner that prevents waste and conserves water resources. All
new irrigation systems must be in compliance with state design and
installation regulations (title 30, part 1, chapter 344 of the Texas
Administrative Code).
(a)
Lawn and landscape irrigation restrictions; offenses.
(i)
Watering with sprinklers or irrigation systems is limited to
no more than two days per week (during April 1—October 31),
and no more than one day a week (during November 1—March 31)
provided no active drought restrictions are in effect. A person commits
an offense if he knowingly or recklessly irrigates, waters, or causes
or permits the irrigation or watering of a lawn or landscape located
on premises owned, leased, or managed by him or a dedicatory instrument
in a manner which exceeds the weekly watering limitations set forth
in this section.
(ii)
Except for hand watering using an automatic shutoff
nozzle and or the use of soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems,
a person commits an offense if, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and
6:00 p.m., he knowingly or recklessly irrigates, waters, or causes
or permits the irrigation or watering of a lawn or landscape located
on premises owned, leased, or managed by him or a dedicatory instrument.
(iii)
A person commits an offense if he knowingly or
recklessly irrigates, waters or causes or permits the irrigation or
watering of a lawn or landscape located on premises owned, leased,
or managed by the person in a manner that causes:
A.
A substantial amount of water to fall upon impervious
areas instead of upon the lawn or landscape, such that a constant
stream of water overflows from the lawn or landscape onto a street
or other drainage area; or
B.
An irrigation system or other lawn or landscape
watering device to operate during any form of precipitation or freeze
event.
(v)
A person commits an offense if he requires the installation
of turfgrass or the irrigation of turfgrass, on a lawn or landscape
of the premises owned, leased, or managed by him or a dedicatory instrument.
(vi)
Except for golf courses and athletic fields, a
person commits an offense if he knowingly allows the overseeding,
sodding, sprigging, broadcasting or plugging with cool season grasses
or watering of cool season grasses on a lawn or landscape of the premises
owned, leased, or managed by him or a dedicatory instrument.
(b)
Rain sensing devices and freeze gauges.
(i)
Any new irrigation system installed within the city on or after
June 1, 2007, must be equipped with rain sensing devices and freeze
gauges.
(ii)
A person commits an offense if, on premises owned,
leased, or managed by him, he:
A.
Installs, or causes or permits the installation of, a new irrigation
system in violation of subsection (b)(i);
B.
Operates, or causes or permits the operation of, an irrigation
system that does not comply with subsection (b)(i); or
C.
Fails to maintain the rain/freeze sensor in proper functioning
order.
(c)
Regulated irrigation premises.
A person commits
an offense if, on a regulated irrigation premises owned, leased, or
managed by him, he:
(d)
At home carwashing can be done only when using a water hose
with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
(17)
The director shall endeavor to coordinate with the regional
water planning group in order to ensure consistency with the approved
regional water plan.
(18)
Hotels and motels are encouraged to offer a linen reuse water
conservation option to customers.
(Ordinance 6110, sec. 1, adopted 4/3/07; Ordinance 6305, sec. 10, adopted 4/7/09; Ordinance 6781, sec. 1, adopted 6/2/15; Ordinance 7071 adopted 6/18/19; Ordinance
7522 adopted 4/16/2024)
