The hot and dry month of August is having an impact on Amarillo’s water reservoir. As part of its 2024 Drought Contingency Plan approved by Amarillo City Council, the City of Amarillo (COA) is asking residents and businesses to follow Stage 1 of the plan, which consists of a voluntary outdoor watering schedule. According to the resolution, Stage 1 of the plan is implemented when demand or normal operating condition results in a drawdown of the reservoir to at or below approximately 60 percent of its capacity or when total daily water demand equals or exceeds approximately 70 percent of the available water production capability for five consecutive days. The Amarillo reservoir is currently at 60 percent of its storage capacity. Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan includes voluntary outdoor watering based on odd and even-numbered addresses. Odd-numbered addresses may water on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Even-numbered addresses may water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Residents are asked not to water on Saturdays. Residents are asked to water lawns between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and to water lawns no more than three times a week to conserve water. The last time the City entered Stage 1 of the Drought Contingency Plan was on July 22, 2022. The duration of that event was one week. “The community really did their part to reduce the demand in 2022. The difference between the 2022 event and the current event is that the 2022 event was based on high demand. This event is based on the level of the reservoir. The City can only fill the reservoir with water purchased from CRMWA. There are no other sources feeding the reservoir. In addition to demand of the water production plant pulling from it, the reservoir is also subject to the

The numbers are in – and roughly one in 10 Amarillo residents attended the city’s Fourth of July-themed event – Amarillo Red, White and Boom!  The free event, celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, was led by the City of Amarillo (COA) Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) in collaboration with Outdoor Amarillo. The celebration drew 21,400 people to John Stiff Memorial Park (JSMP) last month for two days of festivities, including a fireworks and drone show the evening of July 4.  The population of Amarillo is estimated at 205,000. The 21,400 total consists of attendees in JSMP and does not include the many who watched the fireworks and drone show in areas around the park and the city. The budget for Amarillo Red, White and Boom! (approved by city council) was $130,000. Sponsors for the event included Amarillo National Bank, Toot’n Totum, Xcel Energy, Tyson Foods and Connoisseur Media.  “When you think about this Fourth of July event, about one in 10 of everybody in Amarillo attended. That is a pretty astounding number if you ask me,” said Bob Altman, chairman of the COA PARD Advisory Board. “I think it is an outstanding event and thrilled we are doing it.”  More numbers from Amarillo Red, White and Boom!  For more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov. 

 Repairs are underway related to an unauthorized discharge of 500,000 gallons of treated wastewater.  The discharge is in a non-residential area approximately one-quarter mile south of the Harrington Power Generation facility and one-half mile west of Lakeside Drive.  No public or private drinking water sources have been identified within one-half mile of the spill location. The discharge is not identified as an environmental hazard as the water has been through the full treatment process and has been adequately disinfected.  The discharge was identified on Wednesday (August 5) at 7:38 a.m. The repairs to the line are ongoing. The cause of the unauthorized discharge was an over-pressurization of the line.  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has been notified of the spill and repair efforts are being conducted by City of Amarillo Wastewater Collections personnel.  For more information contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at 806- 378-5219 or by email at david.henry@amarillo.gov. 

The City of Amarillo (COA) Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) and National Fitness Campaign (NFC) have announced a partnership to bring an outdoor Fitness Court® and digital wellness programming to Amarillo. The Fitness Court®, located at John Ward Memorial Park, will open August 20 at 10:00 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is open to the public. Following the ceremony, PARD will be offering a free yoga class. In addition, Fitness Court Ambassadors will give demonstrations on how to use the fitness equipment. This Fitness Court® was developed by PARD, BCBSTX, and NFC to expand free access to high-quality workouts and create equitable access to exercise for communities across the region. The Fitness Court® is the world’s best outdoor gym that lets users leverage their own body weight to get a complete workout using seven exercise stations. Created for adults of all abilities and those aged 14-plus, the Fitness Court® workouts are adaptable for all fitness levels, allowing participants to move at their own pace. Users also may download the free Fitness Court® App which acts as a coach-in-your-pocket and enhances the outdoor gym into a digitally supported wellness experience. The COA is one of 50-plus Campaign Partners building a network of Fitness Courts across the state, with the help of BCBSTX. “Finding new ways to enhance our parks and create meaningful experiences for residents is always a priority,” said PARD Director Michael Kashuba. “Partnerships like this allow us to bring innovative amenities to Amarillo that improve quality of life and make healthy, active living more accessible for everyone. We’re grateful to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and National Fitness Campaign for helping make this Fitness Court possible, giving our community a free, year-round resource for adults of all ages