LCRA is taking many actions to manage and mitigate the effects of the current severe drought.  However, if the current drought conditions continue, the LCRA Board of Directors may be forced to declare in 2012 that conditions are worse than during the worst drought in our basin’s recorded history, the 10-year drought of the 1940s and 50s known as the Drought of Record. When the Board declares a drought is worse than the Drought of Record, the Board will also declare a pro rata curtailment for LCRA’s firm water customers. This means that firm water customers, mostly cities and industry, would have to reduce their water use by 20 percent, although the Board has discretion to change that percentage depending on drought conditions. Pro rata curtailment would only occur after water from the Highland Lakes is cut off to downstream farmers and other interruptible customers.

The 20 percent curtailment would be based on a customer’s water use from September 2010 through August 2011. There are mechanisms in LCRA’s pro rata rules for customers to receive credit for demonstrated savings achieved by drought management efforts as well as potential variances for health and safety reasons. Trading of water allowances is also permitted among customers. LCRA pro rata curtailment rules were written with customer input, and the initial 20 percent curtailment was set after a national benchmarking study.  A copy of the LCRA Contract Rules, including the pro rata curtailment rules can be found at this link.

Current forecasts show that conditions could meet the criteria for a drought worse than the Drought of Record by spring 2012. For more information on the drought, please see LCRA’s drought page. The information contained on this page is intended to be a resource for customers and others interested in pro rata curtailment.