The city of Coppell is urging the local community to voluntarily cut back on water usage because the high temperatures and lack of rainfall could impact the city's overall supply.

Coppell purchases 17-million gallons of water per day from Dallas Water Utilities, according to the city website. The city stores 14-million gallons as reserves, but the city's water customers are currently using an average of 16-million gallons or more every day, which is a higher rate of usage than usual.

The high level of water usage is a result of the dry weather and hot temperatures, and it is not a problem right now, but if the usage levels continue to increase it could eventually deplete the city's reserves and not give them a chance to rebuild if the dry weather conditions persist. A decrease in water levels could impact the water pressure, availability of water, and firefighting capabilities throughout the area.

To help promote conservation, Coppell is using less water in parks and medians, so expect to see some browning of the local landscape until the weather conditions change.

Tips for Conserving Water

• Water your lawn in the early morning because the wind is calm and temperature is low so more water is absorbed before it evaporates. (Lawn watering during the summer usually accounts for 50 percent to 80 percent of water use.)
• Do not fertilize because it will lead to excessive growth that will require more irrigation.
• Do not use the toilet as a wastebasket and flush unnecessary items.
• Sweep your sidewalk and driveway clean instead of using water.
• Monitor how much water you use when washing dishes. (A kitchen faucet can use two to three gallons of water per minute.)