Gilmer enters stage 3 of drought contingency plan

GILMER, Texas (KLTV) - The City of Gilmer has declared they are entering Stage 3 of their drought contingency plan.

Stage 3 of Gilmer’s water conservation plan is being initiated after a city council meeting last Tuesday, which recognized Upshur County is classified as being in an “extreme drought” according to drought.gov.

Watering will only be allowed between 12 a.m. and 10 a.m. Residents with odd-numbered addresses can water Saturdays and Wednesdays, while those with even-numbered addresses can water Sundays and Thursdays.

Residents are asked not to wash their vehicles at home.

Gilmer’s water situation is especially serious since Gilmer gets all its water from wells. Gilmer City Manager Greg Hutson explains usage by several entities including Ozarka drains the aquifer during the day, but it has been replenishing somewhat during the night.

Even so, the aquifer is not at normal levels because of a lack of rain, so residents are asked to reduce their usage of water as much as possible.