BPUB: Stage 2 Water Restrictions Initiated
BROWNSVILLE, TX – Due to dropping water reservoir levels, the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) in collaboration with the city of Brownsville will implement water restrictions under Stage 2 of the Drought Contingency Plan effective Sept. 18, 2023. Stage 2 is implemented based on different triggers. One of the key triggers is when water levels at the Amistad and Falcon International Reservoirs reach 25 percent or 834,600 acre-feet. As of September 9, the combined reservoir levels were at 23.3 percent.
“Protecting Brownsville’s water supply through conservation is incredibly important as we go through this hot weather,” said BPUB General Manager & CEO, Marilyn Gilbert. “All of our actions can make a huge difference.”
The goal of Stage 2 is a five percent reduction in average daily water demands and a 10 percent reduction in maximum daily water demands on BPUB. Listed below are the restrictions under Stage 2 set forth by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ):
- Vehicle washing is allowed two days a week from midnight to 10 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight, based on the last digit of the service address.
- Non-essential watering is prohibited, such as washing buildings, using water for dust control, or allowing water to runoff into streets.
- Lawn watering by a sprinkler system is restricted to two days a week based on the last digit of the service area and from midnight to 7 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight, based on the last digit of the service address.
- Variances must be acquired from the BPUB office to water new landscapes outside the landscape irrigation schedule for four weeks since the date of planting.
| Last Digit of Service Address | Watering Days |
| 0 or 1 | Monday, Saturday |
| 2 or 3 | Tuesday, Saturday |
| 4 or 5 | Wednesday, Saturday |
| 6 or 7 | Thursday, Sunday |
| 8 or 9 | Friday, Sunday |
“The City of Brownsville will continue to work closely with BPUB to find new ways of preserving our drinking water supply and kindly ask all BPUB water customers, both residential and commercial, for their assistance conserving water at this time,” said Brownsville Mayor and ex-officio BPUB Board Member John F. Cowen Jr.
BPUB’s Water Plant No.1 and Water Plant No. 2 can provide a maximum of 40 million gallons of water daily to meet the needs of Brownsville residents. To further support water demands, especially during drought conditions, BPUB’s 92.91 percent share of the Southmost Regional Water Authority, a brackish groundwater treatment facility, ensures that customers always count on an alternate water source, reducing reliance on the Rio Grande.
Customers can rest assured that BPUB will continue to provide the best service to residents and keep them abreast of any developments in the area’s drought conditions. For more information on the Drought Contingency Plan and its different stages, customers visit www.brownsville-pub.com.