McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — The South Texas border city of Laredo has implemented Stage 3 water restrictions as levels at both regional reservoirs are at historic and critically low levels.

Laredo residents will only be allowed to water their lawns and hand wash their vehicles once a week. However, carwash businesses may still operate as long as they use recycled water.

The city’s new Water Conservation Drought Contingency Plan-Stage 3 was activated Monday because of a lack of “rainfall in the area, combined with extreme heat and drought conditions at Amistad Reservoir,” according to the city.

Stage 3 is listed as “critical water shortage conditions,” according to the plan.

The Laredo City Council on May 20 adopted the new plan after years of Mexico failing to pay into the Rio Grande the water it owes the United States.

The Rio Grande — Laredo’s only source of drinking water — is shrinking and communities up and down the South Texas border are worried there won’t be enough water. Farmers in the Rio Grande Valley are already suffering losses and the state’s only sugar mill shut down earlier this year because of a lack of water.

The town of Zapata, 50 miles downriver, has already enacted Stage 3 water restrictions and officials say they could hit Stage 4 in upcoming weeks. That would mean that no watering of any kind would be allowed.

Laredo City Councilwoman Melissa Cigarroa says Laredo leaders are trying to come up with long-term solutions to appropriate water from other sources, while also dealing with faulty and aging water pipes that make delivering what little water there is difficult and often lead to boil water notices for the city of 260,000.

“We’ve been as a council trying to get that kind of more holistic view of how we can position Laredo and not be in this serious situation,” Ciagarroa told Border Report on Thursday. “We’re struggling with how do we find someone to give us that bigger picture view and really start to dig into some of these secondary water sources and long-term planning for water security.”

According to the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, Amistad Reservoir, near Del Rio and upriver from Laredo, was at only 20% capacity on Wednesday. Falcon Reservoir, south of Zapata, was at a record low level of 9% on Wednesday.

A storm system that rolled through Tuesday night helped water lawns naturally as 1.45 inches of rain fell in Laredo — doubling the city’s total amount of rainfall for the year.

Under Laredo’s Water Conservation Drought Contingency Plan, developers soon must offer xeriscaping on new homes; all schools, federal, state and local buildings, parks and libraries must xeriscape within five years; homeowners must fix faulty backflow devices; and carwash fundraisers are not allowed or fines will be issued.

“The purpose of this plan is to promote the protection and proper utilization of Laredo’s
only water resource, the Rio Grande River, and to ensure an uninterrupted supply of water
sufficient to satisfy essential needs,” according to the city’s Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan.

The plan officially doesn’t become a city ordinance until July 12. Cigarroa said the city will use that time to do public outreach and educate residents about the new regulations. But after receiving a written warning, fines will be issued after July 12.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.