BLANCO, Texas — The water supply situation in Blanco, Texas, this past weekend became so dire that residents were asked to stop all unnecessary usage.
The city, located southwest of Austin and north of San Antonio, gets its water from nearby Canyon Lake. According to the city, the supplier, Texas Water Company, has barely been able to keep up with demand amid Texas' ongoing heat wave and drought conditions. On Friday, a small pipe break caused water delivery to stop entirely.
Without water from the lake, the city's holding tank supply quickly dwindled. Mayor Mike Arnold warned on Friday that the city could be completely out of water by midday Saturday.
The city is no longer on the brink of disaster, but water remains an issue. Blanco is now in Stage 5 emergency water restrictions. That means water usage is restricted to indoor use only. Residents are urged to stop all outdoor water use. Bulk water haulers are prohibited from pulling water from hydrants.
The city will do its part by reducing or stopping the flushing of water mains, reducing or stopping irrigation of public areas, using an alternate water supply source and using reclaimed water for non-potable purposes.