Water fountains at the University of Texas at Austin will go dry on Monday as UT begins implementing voluntary Stage 2 water conservation measures. UT expects doing this will save more than 300,000 gallons each month on the 40 acres.
The Littlefield and LBJ Library fountains will be operated for one hour a day to reduce algae growth. The turtle pond outside the tower will adjust water use so those little guys can stay wet.
UT is already complying with the city’s watering schedule by watering plants only on Tuesdays and Fridays before 10 am and after 7 pm. The University says it is “modernizing” its irrigation systems to reduce overall water use by 28 percent by August.
Almost all of Texas is experiencing a serious drought. Central Texas, in particular, is extremely dry. The US Drought Monitor's map shows the entire region to be in "exceptional" drought, the most intense category used by the Drought Monitor.
