Arkansas City residents are being asked to temporarily reduce their water use. City commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to implement a class one, stage one, water watch. A stage one designation is generally issued to encourage water conservation awareness during times of drought. The restrictions are not mandatory and citations will not be issued. Environmental Services Superintendent Rod Philo explained why the restriction was being put into place. “It’s mid-summer, we haven’t had any rain, and everybody’s watering,” he said. “This kicks in when our storage is down to 85%. Actually today, we’re down to about 65%.” The city would be in trouble if a large water main would break. Mayor Jay Warren pointed out that the city had experienced several small water-line breaks during the past couple of weeks. “It’s not because we’re short of water,” he said “I don’t want the public to get scared that we don’t have plenty of water, we do in reserves.” According to municipal code, class one restricts the use of water for gardens, lawns, trees, shrubs, parks, golf courses and pools. The washing of vehicles and the outside of buildings is also restricted.
Source: Cowley CourierTraveler
