SAN MARCOS, Texas — For San Marcos resident Thea Dake, the thoughts of extreme heat and droughts are concerning.
"Everybody has got to do something because it's bad. And by the time the summer comes again, with weeks of triple-digit temperatures, you know, everything dies," Dake said. "It's hard and, you know, water is a real issue."
Now, for the first time in about 10 years, the San Marcos City Council is changing its water restriction policy during times of drought.
"We just wanted to sort of simplify and streamline and make them easier for people to understand and follow," Jan De La Cruz, the water conservation coordinator for the city of San Marcos, said.
What is getting streamlined?
De La Cruz said the city is going from five drought stages to three and promises the updated ordinance is simpler and reduces the need for abrupt changes when it comes to the drought stages.
"If you had an automatic irrigation system or a hose-and-sprinkler system, you know, same day but a completely different set of times. So that was very confusing for people. Now, it's the same," De La Cruz said.
De La Cruz also said the city has changed its policy since it diversified its water resources in part due to the population growth San Marcos is seeing.
"Years and years ago, we used to only use water from the Edwards. Now, that's, you know, our smallest source. Our main water source is Canyon Lake, and we've got two additional resources coming online in the next few years," De La Cruz said.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports the city of San Marcos has more than 70,000 people. As more people move in, De La Cruz wants saving water to stay a priority.
"Everybody's kind of got to pitch in and do their part," De La Cruz said.
To see what the three stages will look like and how the restrictions could affect residents, visit the city of San Marcos website.