The City of Round Rock has implemented Stage 1 Drought Restrictions as of June 29th, 2022. Please read this blog to learn why we restrict outdoor water use in the summer during drought.
Current conditions
Water Sources: Lake Georgetown, Lake Stillhouse Hollow, Lake Travis, and the Edwards Aquifer. The City of Round Rock has diversified its water resources and pumps water from two different sources– groundwater and surface water. The Edwards Aquifer is our only groundwater source; it provides a small portion of the City’s water, less than seven million gallons per day. Lake Georgetown is the City’s main water source, and it gets supplemented by Lake Stillhouse Hollow. Lake Travis water is also being used since June 2021.
Lake and aquifer levels as of 6/29/2022
| Water Resource | Lake Level | Percent Full | Aquifer Level |
| Georgetown | 779.31 ft | 66.5% | |
| Stillhouse Hollow | 616.23 ft | 84.7% | |
| Travis | 650.75 ft | 57.5% | |
| Edwards Aquifer Lake Creek Wells | 780.32 ft below land surface |
*Aquifer levels in different areas vary due to geography.
Rainfall Amounts and Temperature 2022
| Month | Precipitation | Highest Recorded Temperature for the month |
| April | 2.73 inches | 91°F |
| May | 1.90 Inches | 95°F |
| June | 1.12 inches | 100°F |
| July (as of this posting) | 0 inches | 106°F |
Drought
High temperatures in the summer and little to no rain to replenish the water in the reservoirs can cause levels to drop. Higher temperatures cause evaporation to occur at a higher rate. Environmental factors, as well as the demand for water, causes reservoir and aquifer depletion.
Peak usage
The demand for water increases tremendously in the summertime due to outdoor water usage. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program, average American homes use about 50,000 gallons of water outdoors each year, mostly for irrigation. In dry climates, outdoor water usage can be as high as 60% of all household usage. Round Rock sees this spike in usage every summer. Our daily water use is lowest in the winter with about 13 million gallons of water used per day. In the summertime, daily usage increases up to 37 million gallons of water per day, or more!
Mandatory Drought Restrictions
We have been tasked with a 5% reduction of water use by the Brazos River Authority. The BRA has implemented Stage 1 Drought Watch for the Georgetown-Stillhouse Reservoir System, as well as four other reservoir systems in the Brazos watershed. The City of Round Rock has activated Stage 1 Water Restrictions to meet the required reduction of water use. This limits outdoor watering to a maximum of twice per week. Irrigation usage is being targeted because as stated before, demand increases in the summertime due to irrigation, and declining lake levels.
Lawns and Landscapes
If you have been following the voluntary watering schedule (watering 2X per week), then your landscape and lawn should not be in stress because there was no change. If you were watering more than 2X per week before drought restrictions were implemented just know that it is perfectly normal to see some stress in your lawn. Crispy grass and even yellow grass do not mean that it is dying, it is going dormant. Grass will enter dormancy to protect itself from stress. Once temperatures start to cool down and we receive more rain, your grass will awaken and grow healthy again. Most turfgrasses common in Round Rock such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, and Zoysia grass can be trained to be drought tolerant. That is why these types of grasses are allowed to be installed in landscapes because they can survive the summer stress. The key is to not overwater; watering too frequently causes the lawn to become dependent on being watered often, as it does not grow deep roots.
For more information about water restrictions please visit roundrocktexas.gov/conservation
