City council votes to lift drought restrictions

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) – During its regular meeting, the Wichita Falls City Council voted on whether to lift drought restrictions imposed on Wichita Falls water customers.

According to Chris Horgen, the city’s press spokesman, two city council members voted for and three against.

Horgen said the result was a shock because “somehow everyone expected it to be accepted.”

This means that Wichita Falls water customers will continue to be subject to Level 1 (Drought Warning) restrictions.

On June 3, the water level of the region’s lake was at 79.4% – a record for the region at this time of year. That is why this agenda item was put up for a vote in the first place.

When the lake’s capacity falls below 50 percent in a given area, water customers are automatically placed into Level 2 “Drought Warning.” However, leaving a level requires a vote by the city.

The next City Council meeting is June 18. There is no rule preventing this vote from being put back on the Council agenda even if it fails, so the Council may or may not put it back on the agenda later in the season.

This story will continue to develop. Stay with News Channel 6 as more information is released.

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