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A NEW law that came into force on September 17 has limited where drivers can get their cars washed to “protect public health”.
Lawmakers have claimed the measure will “promote sustainability” as water levels hit historic lows.
A new city ordinance has placed strict restrictions on commercial car washes amid drought fears[/caption]
The Rio Grande Valley is currently in the midst of one of its worst-ever “water scarcity” crises.
As much as 70% of the region’s water comes from just two major reservoirs, which are both seeing unusually low fill levels.
The combined US-designated storage at the Falcon and Amistad reservoirs, which are both shared with Mexico, has fallen to just 18.14%.
Residents throughout the valley are being asked to conserve water where possible, with a number of towns enforcing anti-drought measures.
The latest new law has come into force in Edinburg, TX, as officials have placed strict limits on car washes.
Locals will face restrictions on where and how often they can wash their vehicles in an effort to bring water levels back up.
As of September 17, no new car wash is allowed to be established within two miles of an existing outlet within the city limits.
There are currently 16 car washes within the 44 sq mi city, so the rules mean there isn’t much room for new ones to be set up.
The new ordinance will also require existing car washes to use water recycling systems to cut down their net usage.
The move follows a similar policy being activated in nearby Brownsville, which opted for an even larger five-mile exclusion zone.
Back in January Edinburg city officials estimated that commercial car washes use anywhere between 450,000 and a million gallons on water monthly.
That’s up to 20 times more than the average commercial user, they added.
Councilman Dan Diaz said: “This is just putting a space between all the car washes.
“We see that there’s a car wash right across the street from each other.
“I’ve always advocated that if there’s a way that we can kind of plan that better.
“Recently, it rained, but still, water is a very, very important subject. We’re considering measures that are gonna change the way we live day-to-day and do business.”
