Stage 2 water restrictions are ending as of Wednesday, January 4, 2012, according to a statement released by San Antonio City Manager Cheryl Sculley.  Stage 1 restrictions will be in place and will remain as long as the level of the J-17 Edwards Aquifer Monitoring well remains above 650.0 feet.  BexarMet entered Stage 1 restrictions on April 12, 2011 and hit Stage 2 restrictions on May 31, 2011.  This marks the first time in San Antonio history that the city has begun the year on mandatory water restrictions.

     The water level at the J-17 monitor well hit 650.7 feet on December 3, 2011 and began the 30-day countdown during which the aquifer level had to remain above 650.0 feet for 30 consecutive days.  Although Stage 2 restrictions are lifted, Stage 1 restrictions remain in place.  In order for Stage 1 to be cancelled, the level of the aquifer must remain above 660.0 feet for 30 consecutive days.

     The requirements for Stage 1 restrictions are the same as Stage 2, with the exception that Stage 1 sprinkler watering hours on the assigned watering day occur before 10am and after 8pm.  Under Stage 2, sprinkler hours are 3am-8am and 8pm-10pm on the assigned day.  The assigned day is based on the last digit of your home address:

0,1 = Monday

2,3 = Tuesday

4,5 = Wednesday

6,7 = Thursday

8,9 = Friday

Saturday/Sunday = No sprinkler watering allowed.

Watering with a hand-held hose, soaker hose or drip irrigation system is allowed any day, on any time.

The watering day begins and ends at midnight.  As always, water waste in the form of runoff down the street or unrepaired leaks is prohibited year-round.

     Seeing that it is the middle of winter, landscape watering is not required due to the dormancy of grasses and other plants.  Water your landscape once per month, however, if rain does not fall in the previous three weeks.  Predictions for 2012 show that rainfall is expected to fall short of expectations.  It is important to use water wisely and conserve wherever possible in the event that Stage 2 (or worse) restrictions return.