The City of Blanco has enacted water restrictions and is asking residents to conserve water after supply dropped to critical levels, city officials said.
Officials at first said high usage was straining supply in Canyon Lake, the reservoir from which Blanco currently gets its water. However, they later said crews had identified two leaks that appeared to be responsible for the declining levels.
The city started relying on its reserve water tank on Tuesday.
City officials said around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday that one leak had been repaired and the situation was improving. Blanco officials said the city had enough water for another day as their emergency million-gallon tank was slowly filling back up.
“We’re in a lot better position than we were yesterday, but we’re not out of the wood yet,” said interim city administrator Kelly Kuenstler.
Blanco Mayor Rachel Lumpee said she was hopeful water service would return to normal as soon as Wednesday evening. However, if the situation deteriorated, the city was ready to implement an emergency plan and distribute cases of water to residents, she said.
The city on Tuesday enacted Stage 5 restrictions, which means water can only be used for essential health and safety purposes. Residents are not allowed to water their lawns or wash their cars, officials said.
The city said it might also have to consider shutting off water services to some users. Officials said Wednesday morning that water had been shut off to the city’s two major water users, though they didn’t identify who those clients were.
“Water has not been shut off to all commercial businesses,” officials said Wednesday morning.
Blanco usually gets its water from the Blanco River, but it’s currently receiving its supply from Canyon Lake while the city’s water plant is being rebuilt. The new plant is expected to become operational next year, Lumpee said.
KUT reporter Nathan Bernier contributed to this story.
