Wichita Falls City Council takes action on water restrictions
Wichita Falls city councilors on Tuesday voted to lift the water use restrictions that have been in place for the past 18 months.
The city entered stage 1 drought watch usage restrictions during a severe two-year drought that dropped the combined water levels of lakes Kickapoo and Arrowhead below 65 percent of capacity.
Abundant rainfall so far in 2024 has raised that level to about 79 percent.
"We're ecstatic about having them that full," city Public Works Director Russell Schrebier said.
He said weather outlooks point at Wichita Falls not developing a new drought through the end of August and that meteorologists keep kicking the predicted start of the La Nina phenomenon down the road. La Nina typically means hotter and drier than usual conditions for North Texas
The council attempted to lift the restrictions at a special meeting on June 7 but lacked the quorum to pass measure.
The stage 1 restrictions primarily addressed outdoor watering. The city will now return to non-drought requirements, which ban outdoor watering between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. year-round.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita Falls City Council takes action on water restrictions
