Intensely hot weather is once again agonizing Brazos County and causing continuous resource problems.
As extreme heat plagues Bryan-College Station, city officials are urging residents to conserve water. The city has experienced over 23 days with temperatures averaging 100 degrees — more than ever recorded before — and is facing a challenge with its water sources.
Texas A&M Agrilife County Extension Horticulture Agent Robert Richter said there are a number of reasons citizens should aim to conserve water during the summer heat.
“If we don’t start, if we don’t all conserve, then we will move into higher levels of restrictions where there could be fines or other rules enforced,” Richter said. “It’s better to control ourselves than to have to move into those higher levels of restrictions.”
Ritcher said it is important people understand it is not necessary to water their yard everyday.
“Our water here has a lot of sodium in it,” Ritcher said. “Excessive amounts of sodium, which will occur if you are watering a lot all the time year after year, affects soil structure in a negative way and causes the soil to not absorb water as well as it used to. Over watering is setting your yard up for more water problems down the line.”
Cycle and soak, a yard-watering method, is the best way to conserve water and keep yards well maintained, Ritcher said. The process consists of letting sprinkler systems run for a period of time, allowing the water to soak in for 45 minutes, and repeating.
“You want to apply about one inch of water a week if it hasn’t rained during the hot season of the year,” Ritcher said. “It’d be less in the fall, less in the spring and none in the winter, basically. You can’t apply one inch all at one time, it’ll run off — the ground can’t absorb it that fast.”
Water Resource Coordinator for College Station Jennifer Nations said the city is seeing its highest water demand in history.
“The water that people are using is our drinking water, so we want to make sure that we have water,” Nations said. “We want to make sure that we have plenty of drinking water to use now and in the future.”
Nations said College Station’s water is supplied by the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, which needs to be managed sustainably in order to guarantee a safe, reliable source of drinking water for the future.
“If a water system runs dry or if they cannot maintain pressure, then that becomes a safety concern in terms of fighting fires,” Nations said. “Keeping our tanks filled helps us to maintain water pressure, which helps us to fight fires, so that has been a concern for many water systems across Texas.”
In order to water efficiently, it’s important to not water yards or plants during the heat of the day, Nations said. For landscaping information and watering recommendations, visit https://bvwatersmart.tamu.edu/.
Agrilife Extension Agent in Food Safety Education Flora Williams said there are many ways to conserve water inside the household such as repairing leaky faucets, taking shorter showers and installing water-saving toilets, shower heads and faucet aerators.
“We just all need to do our part,” Williams said. “Not only is it important that we do our part but just reminding those who you come into contact with, and particularly if you’re hosting people in your homes, tell them the water saving measures that you’re taking in your home.”