Amarillo Halts Municipal Irrigation to Protect Depleted Water Reservoir Amid Extreme Heat

Amarillo Halts Municipal Irrigation to Protect Depleted Water Reservoir Amid Extreme HeatFollowing 35 days of triple-digit temperatures and severe rainfall deficits, the City of Amarillo is pushing its well fields to maximum capacity and enforcing municipal water cuts to prevent mandatory public conservation measures.

Amarillo's 500-million-gallon storage reservoir dropped to 55% capacity (275 million gallons), triggering Stage 1 drought contingency measures on August 17.

The city has experienced 35 days over 100 degrees—compared to a historical average of five—and received only 4.63 inches of rain since January, creating a 9.37-inch deficit.

Peak summer demand reached 88 to 89 MGD, far exceeding the 36 MGD allocation supplied by the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA) and the 32 to 35 MGD supplied by the city's well fields.

To stabilize the reservoir and avoid Stage 2 mandatory restrictions, the city shut off water to splash pads, parks, and municipal buildings.

In separate actions, the City Council approved over $449,000 in equipment upgrades for the River Road and Hollywood Road wastewater treatment facilities.

Amarillo, Texas, has suspended all municipal irrigation and temporarily closed splash pads in a bid to stabilize its rapidly depleting water storage reservoir. The city triggered Stage 1 of its Drought Contingency Plan on August 17 after reservoir levels dropped to the 60% threshold, driven by extraordinary summer heat and peak customer demand. According to a staff presentation to the City Council on August 25, 2026, the region has endured 35 days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, compared to a typical summer average of just five days. Rainfall has also plummeted, with the city receiving only 4.63 inches since January—a departure of 9.37 inches from the historical average and roughly 12 inches less than the same period last year. The city's 500-million-gallon man-made reservoir is fed exclusively by a 36 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) allocation from the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority (CRMWA). During peak summer conditions, daily system demand surged as high as 88 to 89 MGD. While the city's independent well fields supply an additional 32 to 35 MGD directly into the distribution system, the remaining demand—exacerbated by approximately 1 MGD in evaporation—forced a heavy drawdown of the reservoir. "We're maxing everything out that we have to push freshwater," a city staff member noted, describing the intense operational strain on pump stations and elevated storage tanks. The city is currently pushing its Roberts County well fields hard to supplement the CRMWA surface water blend and prevent the reservoir from dropping to 50%, which would trigger mandatory Stage 2 restrictions for residents. Following the initial Stage 1 declaration, which asked residents for voluntary odd/even overnight watering, the reservoir continued to lose 8% of its volume over a three-day period. In response, city management ordered the immediate shutoff of irrigation at municipal parks and facilities. These aggressive internal cuts, combined with temporary water allocations from the City of Lubbock, have allowed the reservoir to begin recovering at a rate of 3 to 4 MGD per day. As of the meeting, the reservoir held 275 million gallons, resting at 55% capacity. Separately, the City Council approved a suite of infrastructure investments for its wastewater systems via the consent agenda. This included a $69,596 emergency pump repair at the Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Facility to maintain reclaimed water deliveries to Xcel Energy. The council also approved $379,654 in upgrades for the River Road Wastewater Treatment Facility, covering the installation of a new $162,400 vertical turbine pump, two variable frequency drives for aeration blowers costing $117,716, and a $99,538 equalization flow meter system.