Texas residents asked to conserve water amid drought and extreme heat 

Texas residents have been asked to conserve water as drought conditions and extreme heat could potentially create a water supply shortage in the region. 

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) asked residents last Saturday to “immediately” reduce their water use, specifically outdoors. The utility company serves around 2 million customers in northern Texas, including Plano and North Dallas county. 

"Every drop counts. Whatever anyone can do to conserve water. It's always to have good conservation habits year-round. Anything anyone can do to lessen their use of water within the home especially their outdoor water use – landscapes, irrigation – will help us all rally for this regional issue," said Wayne Larson, the spokesman for NTMWD.

On Saturday, the plant was forced to cease its water production at one of its treatment plants to perform critical maintenance “to return the plant back to full water purification capacity,” the utility company said in an alert. 

Deputy Director of Water and Wastewater at NTMWD, Billy George, said that the repair work is mostly completed, but it will take longer to get the plant to return to producing its regular capacity. 

The unexpected maintenance at its Wylie Water Treatment Plant Complex, along with the drought and "increasing discretionary outdoor use and irrigation," is what prompted the company to request the reduced water usage until Wednesday. 

Many cities in Texas are experiencing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Cities like Plano and Dallas are experiencing moderate to severe drought, while other areas in the state are undergoing severe droughts. 

Temperatures in Texas have also been drastically increasing this summer, with Dallas and Fort Worth expected to reach up to 110 degrees for several days this week. 

The utility company claims that hot conditions and drought are expected to remain for the rest of the summer. 

"We just want people to be aware of not only what’s happening right now but in the bigger picture we want people to be mindful of their usage of water," George said.