Meadows Neighborhood Association

The Dallas City Council has approved an ordinance limiting the use of sprinkler systems to twice weekly. The ordinance will go into effect on Monday, April 23.

The conservation effort limits the use of automatic irrigation systems and hose-end sprinklers to no more than twice per week, although hand watering, soaker hoses and drip irrigation systems can be used more often. Dallas residents and businesses are reminded that as in years past, the conservation ordinance prohibits watering with hose-end sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. from April 1 through October 31. Residents are asked to program and maintain their automatic sprinkler systems to use water as efficiently as possible and reminded that automatic systems are required to have working rain and freeze sensors.

Landscaping experts say the average lawn in north Texas only needs about one inch of water per week, even during the summer. Watering deeply and infrequently is the best for a healthy landscape with deep roots. The City of Dallas will allow variances for additional watering periods for new landscaping and special circumstances.

Mayors of Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth and Irving held a regional water conservation press conference on April 11 to publicly support a move to make twice weekly watering guidelines the standard for the region following one of the worst droughts since the 1950s. For Dallas customers, current water supplies are anticipated to meet demand through 2035. Moving to a twice weekly effort is expected to extend water supplies to 2045.

For more information on water conservation efforts in Dallas visit www.SaveDallasWater.com or call (214)-670-3155.

For those that are interested, we received notice that the owner of La Paloma restaurant (located on the South-West corner of Walnut Hill and the service road) is seeking to obtain a specific use permit to allow a second restaurant (with drive through) to be located in the same shopping area.  A copy of the application is attached.

Dallas Water Utilities will host a rain barrel making class taught by Water Resources Extension Program Specialist Dotty Woodson. Participants will learn how to build a 55-gallon rain barrel and discuss how to install an efficient irrigation system.  Cost for the class, which is open to Dallas Water Utilities customers only is $50 for each barrel (covers cost of rain barrel and materials)  Note: Rain barrels are 24 inches in diameter and 36 inches tall. Please bring a vehicle large enough to haul your rain barrel(s) home.

When:            6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday May 10

Where:          Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Whitehurst  Atrium, 17360 Coit Road.

To register for the class visit: http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses/may-10,-2012-making-a-rain-barrel-class-%28dallas-water-utilities-customers-only%29/