SIOUX CITY RESIDENTS ARE BEING ASKED TO BEGIN CONSERVING WATER ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING DROUGHT THROUGH THE REGION.
UTILITIES DIRECTOR BRAD PUETZ SAYS BECAUSE OF A LACK OF PRECIPITATION FROM HERE THROUGH THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS THIS PAST WINTER, LOCAL WATER WELLS ARE AT A LOWER THAN NORMAL LEVEL:
WATER11 OC…….WELLS IN WATER. :21
PUETZ SAYS VOLUNTARY MEASURES YOU CAN DO INCLUDE REDUCING LAWN WATERING IN THE WEEKS AHEAD, ADJUSTING WASHING MACHINES AND DISHWASHERS TO SHORTER CYCLES AND TAKING SHORTER SHOWERS:
WATER12 OC…MUCH AS POSSIBLE. :16
PUETZ SAYS THE CITY WILL BE CONSERVING WATER BY REDUCING STREET CLEANING AND HYDRANT FLUSHING UNLESS NECESSARY.
THE MISSOURI RIVER HELPS REPLENISH THE CITY’S WATER WELLS, BUT THE RIVER LEVEL IS ALSO LOW AND HE SAYS IT’S NOT LIKELY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WILL INCREASE FLOWS MUCH OUT OF GAVINS POINT DAM NEAR YANKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA:
WATER 13 OC… 11 FEET LOW. :21
SIOUX CITY ALSO SERVES SOUTH SIOUX AND DAKOTA DUNES WHO USE WATER AS NECESSARY.
HE SAYS IF EVERYONE STARTS TO VOLUNTARILY CONSERVE WATER, IT WILL LOWER THE POSSIBILITY OF THE CITY HAVING TO MANDATE RESTRICTIONS EARLY IN THE SUMMER.
