But as Texas creeps back into a drought, water experts say residents in the city and around the state can do more to conserve water and prepare for the next shortage, which is always on the horizon.
Wichita Falls’ corner of North Texas was enduring one of the worst droughts in its history at the time, leaving the reservoirs that supply water to the city barely above 20 percent full.
Now, as almost 50 percent of Texas deals with a drought that’s still threatening to spread, water experts are recommending cities implement more comprehensive, permanent water restrictions — like the ones Wichita Falls used three years ago — to avoid the pains that emergency drought restrictions can bring.
A new study by the Texas Living Waters Project, a coalition of several environmental groups, recommends Texas cities limit outdoor watering for residences and businesses to no more than twice per week.
Ayres was forced to close his businesses two times a week during the drought’s peak, and city officials were threatening to completely shut down all car washes in the city for the duration of the disaster.
But water experts say Wichita Falls and other Texas cities can do more to prepare for a future with larger populations and less access to water.
That’s 11 percent of the water the cities are projected to use in 2020.
Wichita Falls currently allows residents to water their lawns on as many days as they like, but only from 7 p.m. to 10 a.m. Russell Schreiber, Wichita Falls’ director of public works, said restrictions like those recommended in the study would cause water rates to balloon as the utility worked to offset reduced usage of the water being sold.
Aucoin said he recommends similar restrictions for the surrounding communities in North Texas.
Wichita Falls in danger of another drought Texas had its driest year ever in 2011, but Wichita Falls was hit especially hard both before and after: Drought lingered in the region from 2010 to 2015.