The Meade County Water District sent out a request to customers to help conserve water this week as increased demand due to the hot and dry weather has put increased stress on the district’s distribution system.
“We have a maximum pumping capacity of about 1.3 million gallons per day, and our demand is at about 1.3 million gallons per day, so we’re kind of teetering a little bit there,” said Meade County Water Conservation District General Manager Brett Pyles.
Pyles said the water district’s goal is to increase capacity to 4 million gallons, but it will involve significant work and time.
“We have several projects in the queue to correct this issue, because I’ve been there a little over two years and this has been an issue since I got there, so we started planning right then but as with most large construction projects like ours, nothing’s quick, nothing’s easy,” Pyles said. “We have to jump through regulatory hoops. We have to secure funding. We have to do all kinds of things.”
Pyles thanked Hardin County Water District No. One for providing support, and thanked the water district’s customers. He says their efforts are already evident.
“Our tanks are in much better shape,” Pyles said. “We’re able to keep up. Just don’t use water to water the lawn or let the kids play in the backyard or what have you. If they can do that and just keep it to what they need water for to live, we’ll be in great shape.”
The water district hopes to have the first of its upcoming improvement projects, a new upsized transmission line from the Flaherty water tank to the Garrett water tank, out for bid by the end of July.
Follow the Meade County Water District Facebook page for more information.
