UPDATE: Granite Shoals under mandatory water restrictions

Granite Shoals residents are under mandatory water restrictions after the City Council voted to enter Stage 3 of the city’s drought contingency plan during a special meeting Thursday, July 20. The city experienced a catastrophic pump failure on Wednesday, leaving it with only one functioning pump. Residents are required to limit unnecessary watering under Stage 3 restrictions while repairs are made.

It could be two or more weeks before the failed pump is replaced, City Manager Peggy Smith said. During that time, the city’s water system will have to rely upon its one remaining pump, which is susceptible to failure as it fights to keep up with water demands. 

“We aren’t in a crisis at the moment, but we want to avoid that as best as possible,” Mayor Kiel Arnone told DailyTrib.com.

The city experienced another catastrophic pump failure on June 16 due to a lightning strike, which likely led to the recent pump failing as it was overworked until a new one was installed. The city typically has three pumps — two main pumps and one spare — but the spare is also down.

Extreme heat also might have contributed to the recent failure due to increased water usage to keep landscapes alive in triple-digit temperatures. 

“We still have water, but the seriousness is there,” Arnone said. “We need to conserve water as much as we can. We need to not be washing cars or watering our lawns.

Mandatory Stage 3 drought restrictions aim to achieve at least 30 percent water reduction in Granite Shoals with the following actions: 

• The city will discontinue flushing main water lines, cease irrigating public land except by handheld means, and identify any possible leakage in the water system.
• For residents, watering of landscaped areas is prohibited except with a handheld hose or a faucet-filled bucket or watering can of 5 gallons or less. Customers with odd-numbered street addresses may water on Wednesday and Saturday between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. and the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight only. Customers with even-numbered addresses may water on Thursday and Sunday between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. and the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight only. The use of hose-end sprinklers, soaker hoses, drip-irrigation systems, and/or sprinkler systems of any type is prohibited at all times.
• No new landscapes may be installed.
• The use of water to wash any motor vehicle, motorbike, boat, trailer, airplane, or other vehicle is prohibited except on designated outdoor water use days between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. and the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight. When allowed, washing should be done with a handheld bucket or handheld hose equipped with a positive shutoff nozzle. Vehicle washing may be done at any time on the immediate premises of a commercial car wash or commercial service station.
• The use of water to fill, refill, or add to any indoor or outdoor swimming pools, wading pools, or hot tub/spa-type pools is prohibited except on designated outdoor water use days between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. and the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight.
• The operation of any ornamental fountain or pond for aesthetic or scenic purposes is prohibited except when necessary to support aquatic life or when such fountains or ponds are equipped with a recirculation system.
• Washing down any sidewalks, walkways, driveways, parking lots, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced areas is defined as nonessential and prohibited. 
• Also prohibited is the use of water to wash down buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection; use of water for dust control; flushing gutters or permitting water to run or accumulate in any gutter or street; and the failure to repair a controllable leak within a reasonable period of time after receiving notice directing the repair of such leak.

Violations of mandatory Stage 3 drought restrictions could result in fines of no less than $100 and no more than $1,000 per violation. Each day of a violation of the rules can constitute a separate offense. If more than three distinct violations are committed by the same water customer, water services can be discontinued at the city’s discretion.

If mandatory restrictions are imposed, they can be lifted once conditions return to normal.

dakota@thepicayune.com