Brownwood City Council approved on final reading a revised drought contingency plan for watering restrictions at Tuesday’s meeting of the council.

According to Brownwood City Manager Bobby Rountree, the Brown County Water Improvement District met with its water providers in the area to discuss watering restrictions and revised stages of the drought contingency plan.    Rountree stated that all providers “have agreed to mirror our drought stage responses in their respective plans.”

A briefing sheet provided at the meeting stated that the Texas Water Code and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires all public water systems in Texas to prepare a Water Conservation Drought Contingency Plan, which is required to be updated at least every five years, to be in compliance.

“Due to the current drought conditions, our plan needed significant updates,” stated Rountree.

Currently, in conjunction with the Lake Brownwood elevation level, the drought contingency plan calls for Stage 2 restrictions; however local water providers along with the Brown County Water Improvement District agree to keep restrictions at Stage 3 in order to continue conservation of the area’s largest water source.  Brownwood’s new plan better outlines specific restrictions for Stage 4 and Stage 5 if they are ever needed.

Other utilities receiving water from Lake Brownwood including, City of Early, City of Bangs, City of Santa Anna, Zephyr and Brookesmith SUD will be adopting similar plans and watering schedules to help keep all users equitable.

Copies of the plan will be available at Brownwood City Hall for citizen’s convenience as well as on the City of Brownwood website listed below.  Brownwood will be ordering watering schedules with magnetic backing to give to the public and schools to help spread the word.  A sample is pictured below.

Free information on ways to conserve water is available at the City of Brownwood City Hall public information center.  Information is also available online at