Edwards Aquifer Authority declares Stage 5 drought restrictions

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Edwards Aquifer Authority has enacted Stage 5 water restrictions, the most severe on its scale.

Stage 5 is triggered when the J-17 index well in Bexar County drops below 625 feet above mean sea level. As of Friday, the 10-day average at the well was 624.7 feet.

In a press release, the EAA said the well's water level is 33 feet below the historical average. The last time the level was this low was in June 1990. The only time it dropped lower was during the 1956 drought, the most severe in Texas history.