MINERAL WELLS, Texas — The City of Mineral Wells reached Stage Three water restrictions as of Friday, Sept. 8.
Under Stage Three, residents are required to reduce their water usage by 30%. Limitations are the same as in Stage Two, which doesn't allow watering outdoors unless it's for livestock.
The restriction is due to a severe drought at Lake Palo Pinto, the main water source for Mineral Wells and other surrounding communities. On Sept. 8, the lake's level was reported to be just under 857 ft. MSL (mean sea level), or 10 feet below the conservation pool.
“It’s hot -- it’s not cooling off,” Mineral Wells City Manager Dean Sullivan said. “The evaporation is really what we’re combatting here.”
Officials are watching this week's rainfall in hopes of improved conditions. Around 1"-3" of rain are expected for most of the rea.
According to a weekly report from the City of Mineral Wells, Lake Palo Pinto had 35% water supply before the Stage 3 restrictions were put into place. On the same date last year, the lake had 63% water supply, meaning the lake’s water supply has nearly reduced by nearly half of where it was.
“It’s moving from something serious to much more critical,” Sullivan said.
The city is pumping water from the nearby Brazos River and blending it with water from the lake to increase water its water supply. But treating that water is costly and time-consuming, officials said.
Furthermore, Sullivan said special equipment required is delayed, which has not helped the situation.
Last week, Waterfront resident Karen Bond pondered the restrictions as she stared out at her front yard, where everything she had ever planted was dead.
The old oak tree that once sat in her backyard is now a stump.
The drought forced her to remove it, she said.
“It was really heartbreaking,” Bond said. “It shouldn’t be that way.”
NOTE: The video above was filmed when the city was under Stage Two restrictions.