Water levels in Bexar County hit a historic low on Friday, prompting the Edwards Aquifer Authority to declare that will limit the amount of water people can use in surrounding counties, includint Hays.
The Stage 5 restrictions are the strictest level of water cutbacks the Edwards Aquifer Authority can implement. The cities and entities that have contracts with the agency will be further limited in how much water they can pull from the aquifer.
In Hays County alone, there are 68 active permits that include dozens of privately owned wells and contracts with the City of Kyle, City of San Marcos, Texas State University, Aqua Texas, and the Crystal Clear Special Utility District.
All those entities will see a 44% reduction in the amount of water they are allowed to use -- up 4% from restrictions put in place when the area hit Stage 4 in September.
The Edwards Aquifer Authority has implemented various levels of water regulation to help deal with drought.
Most of the Edwards Aquifer region is currently under exceptional drought conditions, according to the , but the aquifer authority said water levels haven't been this low since 1956 during the state's historic drought.
Despite increasing the restrictions to Stage 5, the agency said it can only monitor and enforce pumping permits. It's up to cities and water utilities to implement and enforce local water restrictions, which could include limiting outdoor plant watering, filling pools with water and at-home car washing.
The agency said residents and businesses within these impacted counties should follow the limits placed by their water providers.
These Stage 5 regulations also impact the following counties: Caldwell, Guadalupe, Comal, Medina, Bexar, and parts of Atascosa.
