La Marque Water Conservation Guide and Plan 2025

Water touches everything in La Marque—our homes, our local businesses, our green spaces, and our quality of life. As Texas continues to face hotter summers, periodic drought, and rapid growth across the region, conserving water isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential. The La Marque Water Conservation Guide and Plan 2025 lays out how our city, residents, and businesses can work together to cut waste, protect supply, and keep water bills in check.

In this guide, you’ll learn why conservation matters now, what the City of La Marque is doing in 2025, and the practical steps you can take to make a measurable difference. Expect clear targets, proven strategies, and simple actions you can start today.

Key takeaways:

• Why conservation is a top priority for La Marque in 2025
• The city’s initiatives: tiered rates, leak reduction, smart metering, drought stages, and more
• Actionable tips for households, HOAs, and businesses
• How to track progress and get involved

Why Water Conservation Matters in La Marque

Water demand is rising across Texas, while extreme heat and drought cycles put pressure on supplies. Even small cuts in daily use add up to big gains when a whole community participates. Conservation helps La Marque:

• Reduce peak demand during the hottest months, lowering strain on infrastructure
• Delay costly expansions by making current systems work more efficiently
• Keep rates more stable over time by cutting waste
• Protect local ecosystems and preserve green spaces

Evidence from Texas cities shows that basic measures—fixing leaks, adjusting irrigation, and installing efficient fixtures—can reduce household use by 15–30% without sacrificing comfort or curb appeal. For businesses, water-smart processes and equipment upgrades often pay back in one to three years through lower utility bills and maintenance savings.

The 2025 Water Conservation Targets

La Marque’s plan sets clear, achievable goals for 2025:

• Reduce per capita daily water use by 10%
• Cut citywide real water losses (leaks) by 15%
• Enroll at least 30% of single-family accounts in smart meter usage alerts
• Achieve 90% compliance with drought stage watering schedules when triggered
• Support 50 commercial customers in completing a water use assessment

These targets help align city policy, infrastructure investments, and community action around measurable outcomes.

City Initiatives: What La Marque Is Doing in 2025

Smart Metering and Real-Time Alerts

The city is expanding advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) so more households and businesses can see near real-time use, set custom alerts, and spot leaks early. Users receive text or email notices for unusual spikes—such as a running toilet or irrigation line break—so issues get fixed fast.

What to expect:

• Rollout schedule by neighborhood
• Online dashboard access for daily and hourly use
• Custom alert thresholds you can set in minutes

Proactive Leak Detection and Pipe Replacement

Water loss in distribution systems is common nationwide. La Marque’s 2025 plan funds:

• Acoustic leak surveys on priority mains
• Pressure management in high-loss zones
• Targeted pipe replacement and valve upgrades
• Faster repair response times based on remote monitoring

This behind-the-scenes work reduces waste at the system level before it ever reaches your meter.

Tiered Water Rates That Reward Efficiency

The rate structure encourages efficiency by keeping essential indoor use affordable and charging higher rates for excessive, discretionary use. This approach is proven to reduce peak outdoor watering while giving households control over their bills. The city will publish clear guidance on average use targets by household size and landscaping type.

Drought Stage Readiness and Watering Schedules

The plan updates drought triggers and community watering schedules. When a drought stage is declared, you’ll see:

• Assigned watering days by address number
• Early morning and late evening watering windows to reduce evaporation
• Temporary restrictions on new turf establishment
• Clear enforcement that focuses on education first

Rebates and Incentives

To speed adoption, La Marque will offer limited-time rebates and support for:

• EPA WaterSense toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators
• Smart irrigation controllers and rain sensors
• High-efficiency commercial pre-rinse spray valves
• Rain barrels and cisterns for landscape use

Details will be posted on the city website, including eligibility, rebate amounts, and preferred product lists.

Education and Community Partnerships

The city is partnering with schools, HOAs, landscape pros, and local businesses to spread best practices:

• Workshops on irrigation tuning and native plants
• School programs with classroom kits and garden projects
• Business roundtables on process water savings
• Public dashboards that show citywide progress

How Residents Can Save Water—Without Sacrificing Comfort

Indoors: Quick Wins That Pay Back Fast

• Fix silent leaks: Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If color appears in the bowl within 15 minutes, replace the flapper. A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons a day.
• Swap showerheads: WaterSense models use about 2 gallons per minute or less and still feel great. This simple change can save thousands of gallons per year.
• Install faucet aerators: In kitchens and baths, aerators reduce flow while keeping good pressure.
• Run full loads: Only run dishwashers and washing machines when full. Choose shorter cycles and cold water when possible.
• Upgrade toilets: If your toilets are from before 1994, they likely use 3.5–5 gallons per flush. Modern models use 1.28 gallons or less and flush better.

Tip: Track your daily use through the smart meter portal once it’s available. Set a weekly goal and see how small changes shift your water profile in real time.

Outdoors: Irrigation and Landscaping

• Water by need, not by habit: Most lawns need about 1 inch of water per week in peak summer and far less in spring and fall. Use a rain gauge or a tuna can to measure how much your system applies per session.
• Adjust your schedule seasonally: Cut runtimes in cooler months. In winter, many lawns need little to no irrigation.
• Water early or late: Aim for 2–8 a.m. Evaporation soars in midday heat and wind.
• Fix broken heads and leaks: Clogged nozzles and misaligned heads waste enormous amounts. Watch your system run once per season and make repairs.
• Use drip irrigation in beds: Drip puts water at the roots, not on leaves or sidewalks. Pair with mulch to reduce evaporation.
• Choose climate-appropriate plants: Native and adapted species thrive in local conditions and need less water once established. Group plants by water needs so you can irrigate zones efficiently.
• Mow high and mulch: Taller grass shades roots and reduces water needs. Keep mulch 2–3 inches deep in beds.

Pro move: Install a smart controller with a rain sensor. It adjusts watering based on weather and soil conditions and can cut outdoor use by 20–40% through smarter scheduling alone.

Habits That Stick

• Shorten showers by one minute—you’ll hardly notice, but your bill will
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving
• Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge so you don’t run the tap to get it cold
• Sweep driveways and patios instead of hosing them down

How Businesses Can Lead on Conservation

Start with a Water Assessment

• Benchmark: Review 12 months of bills and chart use by season and day of week
• Walk the site: Check restrooms, kitchens, cooling systems, irrigation, and any process water
• Find the big wins: Toilets, urinals, spray valves, and leaks often deliver the fastest paybacks

The city can connect you with checklists and local vendors, and in some cases offer incentives for upgrades.

Facility Upgrades with Fast Payback

• Restrooms: WaterSense toilets and urinals, metered or sensor faucets with low-flow aerators
• Kitchens: Pre-rinse spray valves rated at 1.1–1.28 gpm, efficient dish machines, steam table covers
• Cooling: Optimize tower cycles of concentration, install conductivity controllers, inspect for drift and leaks
• Irrigation: Smart controllers, high-efficiency nozzles, drip conversion for beds, and regular audits

Many of these measures reduce hot water use too, lowering energy costs.

Process and Operations

• Train staff: Post simple SOPs near sinks and equipment. Small behavior changes prevent thousands of gallons of waste.
• Detect and respond: Use sub-metering or AMI alerts for irregular spikes. Assign a point person to act on alerts within 24 hours.
• Schedule maintenance: Replace worn toilet flappers, valve cartridges, and spray valves on a set interval to prevent slow leaks.

Engage Employees and Customers

• Share progress on breakroom boards or digital signs
• Offer a quarterly recognition for water-saving ideas
• Add a short note on menus or receipts explaining your conservation steps

Neighborhoods, HOAs, and Property Managers

• Align irrigation schedules with drought stages and communicate changes by email and signage
• Set landscape standards that favor native and adapted plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation
• Audit common-area systems each spring; fix overspray onto sidewalks and streets
• Consider converting low-use turf to beds, bioswales, or permeable hardscape
• Track water use per acre of landscape to compare across properties and identify outliers

Funding, Rebates, and Tools

As we move toward our 2025 water conservation goals, every effort—big or small—makes a difference. By adopting smart irrigation practices, choosing water-wise landscaping, fixing leaks promptly, and engaging both businesses and neighborhoods, our community can set an example for sustainable water use. Achieving lasting change will require everyone to do their part. Together, we can protect La Marque’s water resources for future generations and build a resilient city for years to come.