As drought conditions persist, Wichita may soon limit lawn and garden watering to one day a week and prohibit irrigation between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. For now, officials are asking residents to voluntarily adopt water conservation strategies so the city can stave off its first mandatory watering restrictions in more than a decade. Under the drought ordinance adopted in 2013, stage two of the city’s drought response will automatically kick in when 12-month average water levels at Cheney Reservoir dip below 69% full. April’s average was 69%, and the reading Thursday morning was 67.14% full. “We know that stage two is coming very quickly,” city spokesperson Megan Lovely said at a news briefing. But the City Council is set to hear a proposal on Tuesday that would give City Hall discretion to determine when public works should begin fining people for watering their lawns and gardens more than once a week or in the heat of the day.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
