Ord 2024-4024_Adopting Drought Contingency Plan

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It is important to distinguish drought contingency planning from water conservation planning. While water conservation involves implementing permanent water use efficiency or reuse practices, drought contingency plans establish temporary methods or techniques designed to be used only as long as an emergency exists. The City of La Porte is required by Title 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 288, as amended, to develop, update and maintain a Drought Contingency Plan. The intent of this Drought Contingency Plan is to institute temporary measures to minimize the adverse impacts of water supply shortage from supply source contamination, distribution system limitations, failure of equipment, or other water supply emergency conditions. The Plan defines procedures to manage and conserve the available water supply with particular regard for domestic water use, sanitation and fire protection. REQUIRED ELEMENTS 1. Public Involvement 2. Trigger Conditions to begin and end each stage 3. Specific Targets for Water Use Reduction 4. Drought Stages and Notification Procedures S. Information and Education 6. Implementation 7. Coordination with Regional Water Planning Groups 8. Enforcement 9. Variances 10. Plan Review and Update B. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Opportunity for the public to provide input into the revisions of the drought plan will be provided by the City by means of notice of a regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Notice of meetings and agenda topics are provided on the city website and in the local newspaper in advance of the meeting date. C. 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. City: City of La Porte, Texas 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 orwaste 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.