COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The City of College Station is under stage one water restrictions.
Now, all residents will have to adhere to a lawn watering schedule based on the last digit of their home address.
Residents living in addresses ending in 0, 1 or 2 water every Monday and Tuesday. 3, 4 or 5 water Tuesday and Friday. 6, 7, or 8 water Wednesday and Saturday. 9, commercial, multi-family and HOA's water Sunday and Thursday.
Residents cannot water between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Water Resource Coordinator Jennifer Nations says the city imposed the restriction Tuesday after weeks of drought and operating at maximum capacity, using more water faster than water towers can be refilled.
But residents shouldn't worry about running out of water.
Nations says the restriction is to maintain the integrity of its system, maintaining water pressure to fight water and account for potential waterline breaks and for equipment to go offline.
"This is drinking water that we’re pouring on lawns, and this is a drought emergency, so we do plan to have a reliable safe drinking water system all year around," Nations said.
"This is an extreme event."
She says the watering schedule is "doable," and many residents over-water their lawns.
The city offers free irrigation checkups to College Station Utility customers to help reprogram irrigation systems.