Section I: Declaration
of Policy, Purpose, and Intent
In order to conserve the
available water supply and protect the integrity of water supply
facilities, with particular regard for domestic water use, sanitation,
and fire protection, and to protect and preserve public health,
welfare, and safety and minimize the adverse impacts of water
supply shortage or other water supply emergency conditions, the
City of Duncanville hereby adopts the following regulations and
restrictions on the delivery and consumption of water.
Water uses regulated or prohibited
under this Drought Contingency Plan (The Plan) are considered
to be non-essential and continuation of such uses during times
of water shortage or other emergency water supply condition are
deemed to constitute a waste of water which subjects the offender(s)
to penalties as defined in Section XI of this Plan.
Section II: Public Involvement
Opportunity for the public
to provide input into the preparation of the Plan was provided
by the City of Duncanville during an open comment period from
October 14,1999 to October 28, 1999.
Opportunity for the public
to provide input the revisions of the Plan was provided by the
City of Duncanville during an open comment period from March 29,
2001 to April 12, 2001.
The open comment period was
advertised on the Internet, the City's radio station and the local
newspaper.
Section III: Public Education
The City of Duncanville will
periodically provide the public with information about the Plan,
including information about the conditions under which each stage
of the Plan is to be initiated or terminated and the drought response
measures to be implemented in each stage. This information will
be provided by means of the city's newsletter.
Section IV: Coordination with
Regional Water Planning Groups
The service area of the City
if Duncanville is located within the Region C Water Planning Group
and the City of Duncanville has provided a copy of this Plan to
the Region C Water Planning Group.
Section V: Authorization
The Public Works Director,
or his/her designee is hereby authorized and directed to implement
the applicable provisions of this Plan upon determination that
such implementation is necessary to protect public health, safety,
and welfare. The Public Works Director, or his/her designee, shall
have the authority to initiate or terminate drought or other water
supply emergency response measures as described in this Plan.
Section VI: Application
The provisions of this Plan
shall apply to all persons, customers, and property utilizing
water provided by the City of Duncanville. The terms "person"
and "customer" as used in the Plan include individuals,
corporations, partnerships, associations, and all other legal
entities.
Section VII: Definitions
For the purposes of this Plan, the
following definitions shall apply:
Aesthetic water use: water use for
ornamental or decorative purposes such as fountains, reflecting
pools, and water gardens.
Capacity: the amount of water storage
as required by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
(T.N.R.C.C.) Rules and Regulations for Public Drinking Water Systems
290.45.
Commercial and institutional water
use: water use which is integral to the operations of commercial
and non-profit establishments and governmental entities such as
retail establishments, hotels and motels, restaurants, and office
buildings.
Conservation: those practices, techniques,
and technologies that reduce the consumption of water, reduce
the loss or waste of water, improve the efficiency in the use
of water or increase the recycling and reuse of water so that
a supply is conserved and made available for future or alternative
uses.
Customer: any person, company, or
organization using water supplied by the City of Duncanville.
Designated official: Mayor, City
Manager, Public Works Director or other designated person.
Demand period: as deemed by the
Designated Official.
Domestic water use: water use for
personal needs or for household or sanitary purposes such as drinking,
bathing, heating, cooking, sanitation, or for cleaning a residence,
business, industry, or institution.
Drip irrigation system: a watering
system designed to maintain constant soil moisture by continuous
application of water at a slow rate not to exceed 110 gallons
per acre per minute.
Industrial water use: the use of
water in processes designed to convert materials of lower value
into forms having greater usability and value.
Landscape irrigation use: 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.
Non-essential water use: water uses
that are not essential nor required for the protection of public,
health, safety, and welfare, including:
(a) irrigation of landscape areas,
including parks, athletic fields, and golf courses, except otherwise
provided under this Plan;
(b) use of water to wash any motor
vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane or other vehicle;
(c) use of water to wash down
any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts,
or other hard-surfaced areas;
(d) use of water to wash down
buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire
protection;
(e) flushing gutters or permitting
water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street;
(f) use of water to fill, refill,
or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools or Jacuzzi-type
pools;
(g) use of water in a fountain
or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes except where necessary
to support aquatic life;
(h) failure to repair a controllable
leak(s) within a reasonable period after having been given notice
directing the repair of such leak(s); and
(i) use of water from hydrants
for construction purposes or any other purposes other than fire
fighting.
psi - pounds per square inch.
Pressure district - any area of
the water system distinguished by the high water level of its
elevated storage tanks and/or designed pressure ranges.
Section VIII: Triggering Criteria
for the Initiation and Termination of Drought Response Stages
The Public Works Director, or his/her
designee, shall monitor water supply and/or demand conditions
on a daily basis and shall determine when conditions warrant initiation
or termination of each stage of the Plan. Public notification
of the initiation or termination of drought response stages shall
be by means of publication in a newspaper, signs posted in public
places, the city's community AM radio station and the Internet.
The triggering criteria described
below are based on the amount of water pumped each day and the
percentage of water stored in the ground storage tanks.
Section IX: Water Management
Plan
The purpose and scope of this plan
is to establish the City of Duncanville policies and procedures
in the event of shortages of delivery limitations in the City
of Duncanville water supply, or in case of equipment malfunctions
or similar situations that affect the City's Management plan and
shall apply to all customers that obtain their water from the
City of Duncanville water supply system, and is authorized by
section 1.05 of the Charter of the City of Duncanville.
(A) Stage 1 - Water Awareness
Triggering Criteria (if one or more occurs)
Supply and Storage:
Dallas Water Utilities initiates action
and requests customer cities to do to likewise.
Combined required ground storage falls
below 75% of capacity for a 5day period.
Distribution - Continued potable water
storage depletion indicates an inability to continue to
supply water at the demand encountered.
Actions Available:
Mayor, City Manager, Public Works Director
or other Designated Official requests voluntary reductions
in water use.
Initiate public education campaign teaching
and encouraging reduced water use practices.
Identify and encourage voluntary reduction
measures by high -volume users.
Encourage voluntary reductions in landscape
watering.
Reduce City Government use of water
for street sweeping, washing of vehicles and all other
non-essential use as determined by the City Manager or
his designee.
Encourage less water use on construction
projects.
(B) Stage 2 - Water Watch
Triggering Criteria (if one or more occurs):
Supply and Storage:
Dallas Water Utilities initiates action
and requests customer cities to do likewise during high
demand months.
Combined required ground storage falls
below 60% of capacity at the beginning of a 24-hour period.
Distribution- Stage 1 voluntary restrictions
fail to alleviate continued potable water storage depletion.
Other:
Situations that limit distribution of
water, as determined by the Designated Official such as:
Short or long term equipment failure
or failure to maintain 20 psi pressure at up to 200 locations
or up to 10 fire hydrants in a localized area.
Short term deficiencies within an entire
pressure district.
Power failure or restrictions.
Actions Available:
Mayor, City Manager, Public Works Director
or other Designated Official requests voluntary reductions
in water use.
Accelerate public information efforts
to teach reduced water use.
Notify major water users and request
voluntary water use reductions.
Prohibit City Government use of water
for street washing, vehicle washing, operation or ornamental
fountains and all other non-essential use as determined
by the City Manager or his designee.
Request reduction in landscape watering
by City Government.
Encourage less water use on construction
projects.
(C) Stage 3 - Water Warning
Triggering Criteria (one or more may apply):
Supply and Storage:
Dallas Water Utilities supply cut by
5% on a continuous basis during high demand month.
Combined required ground storage falls
below 50% of capacity at the beginning of a 24-hour period.
Distribution - Failure of Stage 2 restrictions
to reduce usage below supply capability.
Other:
Long term deficiencies in supply within
an entire pressure district.
Failure to maintain 20 psi at grade
in more than 300 service locations or more than 15 fire
hydrants.
Any unanticipated situations that limit
distribution of water, as determined by the Designated
Official.
Power failure or restrictions.
Actions Available:
Initiate studies that address solutions
to the problems.
Mayor, City Manager, Public Works Director
or other Designated Official announces the beginning of
mandatory water reduction. Prohibited water use during
this stage:
Hosing off of paved areas, buildings
or windows.
Swimming pool draining followed by
refilling.
Washing or rinsing vehicles by hose.
Other non-essential water uses as
may be determined by the Designated Official.
Construction water use limited to non-peak
hours as determined by the Designated Official.
No watering on Tuesday or Friday.
As determined by the Designated Official,
all landscape water use including City Government and
Schools, limited to specific hours.
Watering may be done at any time on
specified days from a hand-held hose, a bucket or drip
irrigation system.
Continued implementation of Stage 1
restrictions.
Exceptions:
Vehicles may be washed at commercial
car washes; vehicles may be washed at home with water in a
bucket or other container; foundations may be watered with
a hand-held or soaker hose.
(D) Stage 4 - Water Emergency
Triggering Criteria (if one or more occurs):
Supply and Storage:
Dallas Water Utilities supply cut by
10% on a continuous basis during high demand months.
Combined required ground storage falls
below 40% of total capacity.
Distribution - Failure of Stage 3 restrictions
to reduce usage below supply capability.
Other:
Any unanticipated situations that limit
distribution of water, as determined by the Designated
Official.
Power failure or restrictions.
Actions Available:
Implement appropriate solutions to supply
or distribution problems.
Continued implementation of all restrictions
from previous stages.
Exceptions:
Commercial car washing is prohibited
between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. each day.
Landscape watering will be allowed during
designated hours, as determined by the Designated Official,
once in five days, based upon the last digit of the address.
(see 7 of this section for watering rotation
Watering Permitted:
Landscape watering schedule:
If
address ends
Water
on these days of the month
0 or
5
5, 10,
15, 20, 25, and 30
1 or
6
1, 6,
11, 16, 21, and 26
2 or
7
2, 7,
12, 17, 22, and 27
3 or
8
3, 8,
13, 18, 23, and 28
4 or
9
4, 9,
14, 19, 24, and 29
NOTE: No landscape watering on the
31st of any month
Special Provisions:
Apartments, Office building complexes
or other property containing multiple addresses will be
identified by the lowest address. Where there are no address
numbers or where it is not feasible to use an address
number, a number will be assigned by the Designated Official.
Foundations may be watered with a soaker
or hand-held hose on the same five-day rotational system
as landscapes.
Golf courses using treated water may
adhere to the same five-day rotational system, based on
their addresses, (see 7 of this section for watering
rotation) except that greens may be
watered only at a time that has been determined by the
Designated Official.
Construction water use prohibited between
the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. each day.
Nurseries and public gardens may water
plant stock only between the hours of 9:00 p.m. to 5:00
a.m.
City parks and right-of-ways areas will
comply with a 5-day rotation schedule with hours to be
determined by the Designated Official.
(D) Stage 5 - Water Crisis
Triggering Criteria (if one or more occurs):
Supply and Storage:
Dallas Water Utilities supply cut by
greater than 15% on a continuous basis.
Combined ground
storage falls below 20% of total capacity.
Distribution
- Failure of Stage 4 restrictions to reduce usage below
supply capability.
Other:
Any unanticipated situations that severely
limit distribution of water, as determined by the Designated
Official. Notification of mandatory restrictions from
the City of Dallas Water Utilities.
Power failure
or restrictions.
Actions Available:
Continued implementation
of all restrictions from previous stages.
Exceptions:
All commercial and residential landscape
watering is prohibited.
All vehicle or equipment washing is
prohibited, except commercial car washes, unless further
restricted by the Designated Official.
Nurseries and golf courses may continue
to water as restricted by Stage 3 measures. Foundation
watering may also proceed as allowed in Stage 3.
Commercial and
construction water users may be required to reduce water
use as determined by the Designated Official in order
to maintain water for health, sanitation and fire fighting
purposes.
Section X: Water Conservation Plan
The purpose and scope of this plan
is to establish a Water Conservation Plan to assure our citizens
of the most economical approach for conserving water. The goal
of this Water Conservation Plan is to reduce the per capita consumption
of water as much as possible in the City of Duncanville.
(A) Public Education and Information
The ultimate success of any water
conservation program is dependent on an informed public. The water
customers must have an awareness of the benefits and needs for
water conservation. They must also have a knowledge of how to
contribute to the plan. The public education program is designed
to provide information to as many of the users as possible. The
education program will include, but not limited to, the following:
Distribution of educational materials
available from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission,
American Water Works Association, Texas Water Development
Board, Dallas Water Utilities and other will be made semiannually
and timed to correspond with peak summer demand periods.
The semiannual notifications may be made by publication
in the newspaper or City newsletter.
New retail customers applying for service
will be provided with water conservation literature, including
specific methods and ways to save water.
City staff will be available to present
water conservation programs to local schools, civic organizations
and other groups.
Information will be aired on local City
radio and City Government Cable TV Channel.
(B) Water Conservation Rate Structure
The City of Duncanville shall maintain
a water rate structure which provides for a monthly minimum
base charge for the first 1000 gallons, then a uniform rate
for each additional 1000 gallons of usage per unit or connection.
The wastewater rate structure provides
for monthly minimum fixed rate charge per unit or connection
and variable rate charge per 1000 gallons of user's wastewater
volume.
(C) Universal Metering and Meter repair
The City of Duncanville requires all water
connections to the City water system to be metered except
water used for fire fighting, fire flow testing of hydrants,
closed fire system with alarms and water main flushing.
Generally, the City tests, replaces and
repairs meters as deemed necessary to ensure proper registering
and recording of consumption being used.
(D) Leak Detection Program
The City of Duncanville shall maintain
a leak detection, location and repair program. Water line
leaks are located by water personnel, utilizing electronic
equipment. Water personnel perform leak detection for customers
through meter monitoring.
(E) Water Conserving Landscape
The City of Duncanville Public Works Department
will encourage customers through the public education program
to utilize landscaping and irrigation procedures that reduce
water consumption. These practices, as much as possible,
will be implemented on public grounds in order to set an
example for the general public.
(F) Implementation and Enforcement
The City of Duncanville's management will
be responsible for the following:
Evaluation and recommendation of rate
structures for adoption by the City Council - Director
of Public Works, Director of Finance and City Manager.
Evaluation and recommendation of plumbing
codes modification - Building Official and Director of
Public Works.
Maintenance and replacement of water
meters - Director of Public Works and the Director of
Finance.
Public education and information - Director
of Public Works.
Leak Detection and repair - Director
of Public Works.
Evaluation and documentation of program
progress - Director of Public Works.
Enforcement of Ordinances relating to
the water use - Director of Public Works.
(G) Periodic Review and Annual Reporting
Periodic reviews will be made to determine
if changes might require an amendment or major change to
this plan.
Annual reporting
can be accomplished through budget program measurements.
Section XI: Penalties
That any person, firm or corporation
violating any of the provisions contained in the Water Conservation
Plan shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
in the Municipal Court, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed
the sum of five hundred ($490.00) dollars for each offense, and
each and every day said violation continues shall constitute a
separate offense.
Section XII: Variances
The Public Works Director, or his/her
designee, may, in writing, grant a temporary variance for existing
water uses otherwise prohibited under this Plan if it is determined
that failure to grant such variance would cause an emergency condition
adversely affecting the health, sanitation, or fire protection
for the public or the person requesting such variance and if one
or more of the following conditions are met:
Compliance with this Plan cannot be technically
accomplished during the duration of the water supply shortage
or other condition for which the Plan is in effect.
Alternative methods can be implemented
which will achieve the same level of reduction in water
use.
Persons requesting an exemption
from the provisions of this Ordinance shall file a petition for
variance with the City of Duncanville within 5 days after the
Plan or a particular drought response stage has been invoked.
All petitions for variances shall be reviewed by the Public Works
Director, or his/her designee, and shall include the following:
Name and address of the petitioner(s).
Purpose of water use.
Specific provision(s) of the Plan from
which the petitioner is requesting relief.
Detailed statement as to how the specific
provision of the Plan adversely affects the petitioner or
what damage or harm will occur to the petitioner or others
if petitioner complies with this Ordinance.
Description of the relief requested.
Period of time for which the variance
is sought.
Alternative water use restrictions or
other measures the petitioner is taking or proposes to take
to meet the intent of this Plan and the compliance date.
Other pertinent information.
Variances granted by the City of
Duncanville shall be subject to the following conditions, unless
waived or modified by the Public Works Director, or his/her designee:
Variances granted shall include a timetable
for compliance.
Variances granted shall expire when
the Plan is no longer in effect, unless the petitioner
has failed to meet specified requirements.
No variance shall be retroactive
or otherwise justify any violation of this Plan occurring prior
to the issuance of the variance.
Section XIII: Severability
It is hereby declared to be the
intention of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
(T.N.R.C.C.) that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses,
and phrases of this Ordinance are severable and, if any phrase,
clause, sentence, paragraph, or section of this Plan shall be
declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any
court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall
not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs,
and sections of this Plan, since the same would not have been
enacted by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission
(T.N.R.C.C.) without the incorporation into this Plan of any such
unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph, or section.
City of Duncanville
Utility Services
203 E. Wheatland Road
P.O. Box 380280
Duncanville, TX 75138-0280
972-780-5010
