DALLAS — The temperature in Dallas Wednesday morning plunged to 23 degrees.
So why would anyone leave their sprinklers on in this weather — especially the City of Dallas?
Early this morning, News 8 cameras were rolling as sprinklers glazed Field Street downtown, encasing plants in a frozen shell.
Shortly after, we called the city and a sand truck showed up.
Gilbert Aguilar, director of Dallas Street Services, first blamed a private group that had adopted the median. "They could possibly issued a notice of violation and there is a fine associated with that," he said.
Potential fines range up to $2,000, but that's not going to happen.
After some digging, the city realized there was no group to blame because Dallas is responsible for the icy median on Field Street, and for another ice that formed at formed on the streets and grass at Dealey Plaza.
If the city is asking citizens to halt outside watering in icy weather, why isn't Dallas doing the same?
"Well, I think the answer is we are," said Park and Recreation Director Paul Dyer. "We did turn the water off, and we had two systems that malfunctioned — either through human error or through vandalism."
The city said a freeze sensor on Field Street was broken.
At Dealey Plaza, a contractor neglected to turn off a system used to irrigate newly-planted flowers.
In all, the city says it has 1,000 irrigation systems, and officials say they are committed to making sure they all work.
E-mail dschechter@wfaa.com and cvega@wfaa.com
