Environment
Euless Water Tower

Water Conservation

Outdoor Water Use | Indoor Water Use | What You Should Know

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The City of Euless has implemented Stage One Watering Restrictions as of August 29, 2011. These restrictions limit watering to specific days of the week in addition to the hours previously restricted by the time of day watering ordinance.

Time of Day Watering Ordinance

Water levels cannot be predicted from one year to the next and we all need to make an effort to conserve water. After the drought of 2006, Euless officials realized that we need to protect this precious resource by enacting measures that make sense for Euless residents.

Effective July 1, 2007 all Euless residents fall under a time of day watering ordinance that prohibits watering outdoors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. year-round. The new rules will apply to City water customers who use automatic and non-automatic irrigation systems and garden hose-attached sprinklers to water their lawns.

Watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. is an inefficient method of maintaining yards. Water from sprinklers and irrigations systems is lost by evaporation due to heat and wind. In addition, daylight watering as well as domestic use, places additional demands on the water treatment plant.

The ordinance does provide for watering home foundations, lawns and new landscape plantings by handheld hose, drip irrigation or soaker hose. For more information please call 817-685-1400.

Outdoor Water Use

Here's an easy way to gauge your sprinkling needs:
  • Set 4 to 6 empty 12 oz. tuna cans at different distances from the sprinkler head, including one at the outside edge of the watering coverage.
  • Run the sprinkler for 10 minutes.
  • Using a ruler, measure the amount of water collected in each can.
  • Add the measurements from each can and then divide the total by the number of cans to get an average.
  • Multiply this average by six to determine how many inches of water would be applied in an hour.
  • It's best to water your lawn thoroughly 1 to 2 inches at a time to encourage deep root growth. (Don't forget to factor in any rainfall.)
How frequently you should water depends on the kind of lawn you have:
  • Common Bermuda: every 8 to 10 days
  • Hybrid Bermuda: every 5 to 8 days
  • St. Augustine: every 4 to 5 days
  • Buffalo grass: every 2 to 5 weeks
  • Remember: excessively hot and dry weather will cause most turf grasses to go dormant and turn brown.

Grass will green up with cooler temperatures, so resist the temptation to over water.

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  • Reduce your watering frequency to once every five days. This encourages deeper, more drought-tolerant roots.
  • If it rains an inch or more, wait at least five days to water.
  • Mulch trees and plants to retain moisture and prevent evaporation.
  • If your sprinkler sprays a fine mist, you're losing a lot of water to evaporation.
  • Try a different sprinkler head or better yet a drip system.
  • When washing your car, use a cut-off nozzle instead of running the hose continuously. This will save 8 gallons of water per minute.
  • When installing a new lawn or planning landscaping, consider using plant and grass varieties that are adapted to your site and require little supplemental water once established.
  • Contact your local Texas Agricultural Extension Service office.
  • Go to the Texas Smartscape for North Central Texas site for more information on vegetation and plants that have been adapted to our our North Central Texas Climate to create a landscape that needs less water, pesticides and fertilizer.

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Indoor Water Use

Don't pour your money down the drain with leaky faucets or water hogging showerheads.

The Source Water Waster
Leaking Toilet - 90 Gallons Per Day
- 2,738 Gallons Per Month
- 32,850 Gallons Per Year
10 minute shower with inefficient shower head - 30 Gallons Per shower
- 420 Gallons Per week
- 28,840 Gallons Per Year
Dripping Faucet
A slow steady drip		 - 48 Gallons Per day
- 1460 Gallons Per month
- 17,520 Gallons Per Year
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  • The single most effective conservation step that can be taken inside the home is to install water efficient showerheads. They provide great showers, yet use 30% to 70% less water.
  • Use half as much water by installing water efficient aerators on the bathroom and kitchen sinks.
  • Toilet water use can be cut by up to 70% by installing water efficient or air assisted commodes. If replacing your commode isn't an option, place a half gallon plastic jug of water in your tank and cut your water use by 20%.
  • Laundry accounts for about 14% of home water use. Adjust the water level on your machine to match the size of your load.
  • Repair leaks immediately! A dripping faucet can waste an estimated 2 gallons of water per hour!

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What You Should Know

Why should I be concerned about outside water use?

As summer temperatures rise and rainfall decreases, more of a community's drinking water supplies are used for outside purposes, such as watering lawns and plants, refilling swimming pools, and the like. Outdoor activities use much more water than inside uses, such as bathing, cooking, and washing.

So why is this a problem?

If demand for outside use is greater than Euless' and The Trinity River Authority's supply of raw water or capacity to treat that water, there may not be enough treated water for all uses, including inside water needs or for fire protection. And when pumping and treatment equipment is overworked, equipment failures can occur, creating water outages.

Why can't my water system produce enough water for all needs?

The majority of Texas water systems produce more than enough drinking water year-round. It's only during excessively hot and dry periods that demand outpaces supply. Water systems - and their customers - would incur big costs (we're talking in the million dollar range!) if they had to expand treatment facilities to produce enough drinking water to meet all potential needs.

But I pay for the water I use. If I can afford it, why can't I buy it?

Water utilities ask their customers to reduce their water use only when necessary. If a community drains its drinking water supplies, the health and safety of all citizens are at risk.

What kinds of health and safety risks?

No drinking water means unsanitary conditions inside residences and businesses and no means of fighting fires. And water pipes are susceptible to contamination when water pressure is low.

OK, I'm convinced! What can I do to help my water system in hot, dry weather?

The most important things are to follow your system's program to reduce water use and be efficient when you use water outside.

Does that mean I can't water my lawn and outside plants?

No. Most landscapes get more water than they need. You can keep landscaping alive even during the worst summer heat with these practical tips:

  • Water lawns only when needed. Putting 1.5 inches of water on your lawn every 5 to 7 days will encourage deep root systems and make for healthier grass.
  • Use native or adapted plants that do well on little water.
  • Mulch plants to hold in moisture and limit weed growth.
  • Install efficient irrigation systems. Avoid sprinklers with fine sprays, which lose much of their water to wind and evaporation.
  • Use drip irrigation systems for bedded plants, trees and shrubs.
  • Adjust automatic sprinkler heads so that they water your landscaping, not the pavement or sidewalks.
  • Water lawns during the early morning or evening hours to prevent evaporation.
  • Never water on windy days.
Where can I get more information on making my yard water smart?

Contact the Texas Water Development Board, your local agricultural extension agent, nurseries and garden shops, and the WaterWise Council of Texas.

What was discussed at the Water Conservation Forum?

On June 24, 2010, the City of Euless hosted a Water Conservation Forum. Speakers provided tips and insight into reducing water consumption in the summer months. Topics included water conservation and landscaping, public awareness and ways to reduce indoor water consumption.

Speakers:

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Outdoor Water Use | Indoor Water Use | What You Should Know