Nixa Utilities urges customers to conserve water ahead of potential emergency - KY3

Nixa Utilities urges customers to conserve water ahead of potential emergency

NIXA, Mo. (KY3) - We use a lot of water when the heat rises during the summer.

The director of Nixa Utilities says the city is using too much water too fast, not giving the aquifer enough time to replenish. The city of Nixa is asking residents to conserve water. City leaders are preparing for potential problems from the drought.

”We’re asking people to conserve and be responsible now,” said Nixa Utilities Director Doug Colvin. “So, we don’t get in a situation where we have to do something to make them do it. It’s typical that, you know, in warmer summer times, we have, you know, there’s higher water usage, most of that is attributable to lawn irrigation. And we have a lot of that here. It’s very nice to see, but we can run into problems with water availability.”

Colvin says it’s gotten to the point where they’re asking people to conserve water before the city sinks into a serious issue.

”It’s been dry enough outside that it’s not generating back as fast as we’re taking it out,” said Colvin. “So we have to be real careful that we don’t pull the water down so far that we contaminate the well by drawing in mud.“

Joel Alexander with City Utilities in Springfield says it’s a problem they prepare for every year so they can also avoid emergency levels.

”Our goal is to not ever get to that stage,” said Alexander. “But our goal has also been not to have to be able to use that emergency plan. We can get keep from doing that by our customers. Just using water wisely.”

He says City Utilities has already started pulling water out of Stockton Lake after levels reached a low level.

”We reached the level that we thought we needed to do this. There’s a reset level at Stockton to where we can’t take water from there,” said Alexander. So and it’s important to remember that water comes from the power pool allocation that that lake is used for. So you know, the evaporation is going to take far more than we do from Lake Stockton.”

Both Nixa and City Utilities say there are a couple of ways you can help keep water in the aquifer and keep money in your wallet:

- 1. If you have an address that ends in an even number, water your lawn on an even day. The same goes for addresses that end in an odd number. Water on odd days.
- 2. Also, water your lawns as early in the day as possible to avoid evaporation
- 3. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or shaving
- 4. Take shorter showers
- 5. Maintain sprinkler systems and look for leaks
- 6. Only run your washer and dishwasher when they’re full

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