Cleburne Drops All Water Restrictions

CLEBURNE (CBSDFW.COM) --  Water restrictions are common in North Texas because of the lingering effects of the drought.  But one local city just dropped them entirely.

"I mow twice a week," said resident Mike Bouchard, who said his lawn last year was yellow and dead. His secret to a lush green lawn? "Texas sun and mowing and some water, if God's willing."

Cleburne residents can now use as much water as they please.

The city's water comes from Lake Pat Cleburne, which it owns, and Aquilla Lake, which is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  And the city says both are over capacity thanks to the recent rain.

"We are fortunate to have our own lake," said David Esquivel, the city's assistant city manager. "We didn't want to get too complicated with our restrictions so we decided instead of lessening our restriction to go ahead and go back to normal."

In a news release, Cleburne Water Superintendent Bill Pannell said his department will watch the city's usage closely.  But he does not expect to reinstate the restrictions.

Eighty-one percent of Texas is currently in a drought.  North Texas is essentially the only part of the state which is drought-free.

"It's easier to go back and tighten up when we need to," Esquivel said.