Horseshoe Bay on temporary water restrictions after pump failures
Horseshoe Bay officials are asking residents to reduce outdoor watering by 20 percent until the city’s water system is fully restored following two catastrophic pump failures. This includes the use of drip and soaker hoses.
“This ensures a safe water supply is continuously available until the mechanical issue is resolved,” reads a notice sent out to residents.
The request was made on Aug. 17 and could be in place until Tuesday, Aug. 20, or later.
The city is meeting its water needs with an emergency pump, but continued conservation is requested as an extra precaution.
“As of right now, we are running on normal operations, but we are in a somewhat perilous spot,” Horseshoe Bay Water Plant Operations Supervisor Joel Green told DailyTrib.com on Monday.
According to Green, the city’s main pump and backup pump both broke down within a six-day timeframe, an occurrence he chalks up to bad luck.
An older emergency pump, which is due to be replaced by Tuesday, is maintaining the city’s water storage supply. It could take up to seven weeks to get the new, permanent pumps in from the manufacturer, Green said.
Cutting back on water usage could help sustain adequate pressure and keep water towers full until the pumps can be replaced.
“Basically, with the demand that we have (on the city water supply) right now, the irrigation tends to be about half of the water that we produce in the summertime,” Green said. “If we can reduce it by 20 percent, it will help us maintain the water towers (levels).”