DENTON, Texas — There is nothing more precious to Sharon Bieber than spending time with her young grandson. She sat in the shade at Carl Young Senior Park Friday afternoon as he enjoyed the "Sprayground" all to himself.
The City of Denton filters and recycles the water used at the splash pad. It also has an auto shut-off when it's not being used.
"He has a great time here in Denton," Sharon Bieber said, "I put sunscreen on him, keep him hydrated, we got a little water bottle with us."
Like all other Denton homeowners, city leaders have asked Sharon to conserve water as much as possible. Work crews are scheduled to repair two damaged filters at the Lake Lewisville water treatment facility. The work is scheduled to start Aug. 20, 2024.
Denton Assistant City Manager Cassey Ogden wants families to continue with their regular indoor water use. But when it comes to using water outside the home, everyone is asked to conserve. She and her colleagues learned Friday afternoon that the request and cooperation so far have helped the city avoid a stage 2-level drought.
"It just means an overall decrease in demand for water, so that we are not pumping out as much water, we are not treating as much water. We are really focusing on outdoor usage, not inside the house," said Ogden.
As Ogden and the other city leaders continue to ask people to conserve water during the hot dry weather, the heat has also led to changes at the North Texas Fairgrounds in Denton.
Glenn Carlton, the executive director of the North Texas Fair and Rodeo, said he is concerned about the blazing sun's impact on the rides at the fair. The North Texas Fair and Rodeo will open on schedule as workers and emergency responders stay on the lookout for people overcome by heat. Carlton has made arrangements for fairgoers to have access to air-conditioned cooling stations set up around the fair. After learning the temperatures would reach 100 and above over the weekend, changes were made to the ride schedule.
"We are going to delay the midway," said Glenn Carlton. "We are going to open the midway and the games until 6 o'clock. We are going to give the rides time to cool off. In the heat of the day, they just get too hot."
Whether it's outside at the fair in Denton, enjoying the splash pad at the park, or at home hoping to save your grass, the heat has people in Denton on alert. So outdoor water use should even be limited on lawns.
"Mine is new grass, I have a hard time with that," Sharon Bieber said. "But I am fine, I am fine with that."