Posted: Fri, 20 May 2011 07:29 AM - 15,426 Readers

By: LCRA

The Lower Colorado River Authority on Wednesday sounded the alarm about the current drought, now in its eighth month, and called on its customers to conserve water as summer approaches and the drought intensifies.

"We are very concerned, because this drought looks as if it may be one of the most severe we've seen in decades," LCRA General Manager Tom Mason said. Mason added that the LCRA is following its state-approved water-management plan, which contains earlier triggers for cutting back water for agriculture and requesting voluntary cutbacks from municipal and residential users.

Drought snapshot

Could rank among the top five ever if dry conditions persist. The worst drought on record was from 1947-57.

Austin received 5.3 inches of rain from October through the end of April, the third driest for those months since 1856. Rainfall from February through the end of April — less than an inch — was the lowest on record.

Conservation

Water lawns twice a week; sprinkler system cycles should be shortened if water is running into the street.

Fix broken or misdirected sprinkler heads.

Don't run water when brushing teeth or shaving.

Thaw frozen food in leak-proof container submerged in cold tap water, not with running water.

Repair leaky faucets or running toilets.

Report water waste — runoff into the street from homes or businesses — by calling 311.

Outlook

Rainfall in the Austin area is 12 to 16 inches below normal since Oct. 1.

The probability for 1 inch of rain between now and June 2 is less than 10 percent.

Relief could come from an active hurricane season that begins June 1. At least 15 named storms have been predicted.

Rain is in the forecast for later this week: a 50 percent chance Friday night and 30 percent chance Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.