Allen is taking steps to protect its water supply through public education, rebate programs and irrigation guidelines.
Community Services Director Steve Massey presented the updated Water Conservation and Water Resource Management Plans to Allen City Council on April 23. Updates to these plans are required by the State of Texas every five years.
The plan had no significant changes from 2014 but maintains several goals and programs aimed at helping Allen citizens reduce water use. These include:
- City-funded replacement of all water meters every 10-13 years to ensure accurate measurement and billing
- A tiered rate structure resulting in lower water rates for those using less water
- Mandatory commercial irrigation inspections every 3 years
- A rebate program for water-efficient irrigation equipment, pressure-reducing valves, rain barrels, washing machines and toilets
- Rules against watering during rain or freezing weather
- Limiting watering to no more than twice a week on designated watering days
“I’ve only watered once in the last five-and-a-half months,” said Massey. “We could probably cut 10% of our water use if people just manually turned on their sprinklers.”
Allen citizens double or triple their water use during summer months, with most water being used to irrigate lawns or landscaping. Massey encouraged all water users to review cost-saving tips provided by City of Allen Water Conservation before summer arrives.