The city will enter the second stage of its drought contingency plan on Sunday, August 27, Houston officials said in a press release.

Our crews are working diligently in conjunction with area contractors to repair water leaks across the city.”

At the same time, the city is also facing one of the driest summers on record, marking a nearly 7-inch rainfall deficit since June 1.

As soil moisture declines, vegetation dries up and surface and groundwater conditions are depleted across much of the region.

Recent rain from Tropical Storm Harold has not yet been accounted for Thursday’s Drought Monitor update, which was finalized on Tuesday.

As temperatures surged to triple digits this summer, the heat squeezed out what little moisture was left in the ground.

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