Rainfall helps; restrictions continue

Utilities Director Jesse Dutcher checks pump control stations at McCook’s water treatment plant.

Bruce Baker/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — Daily volume is down at McCook’s water treatment plant, thanks to recent rainfall, although not quite enough for city staff to lift outdoor watering restrictions put in place nearly a month ago.

“We are doing better since the recent rains. The daily average for the week of July 24 through July 30 was 3,766,000 gallons per day,” said Utilities Director Jesse Dutcher this morning. City water restrictions put in place on July 10 were intended to reduce the daily average, which exceeded 4 million gallons at-the-time.

Last week’s reduced volume wasn’t enough to stymie repair work for water department staff, however, and late night volume peaks are still higher than Dutcher would prefer.

“While the daily average is lower we are still seeing the high flows during the early morning hours, 2-6 a.m. Because of high demand in the mornings we are still asking customers to observe the odd and even lawn watering schedule. Water production has declined a little, work for the water department’s repair crew has not,” he said.

In recent days city crews repaired service line leaks on South 9th Street, Centennial, East 11th Street, West 9th Street and a fire hydrant at West 12th and B Street that was damaged by a piece of farm equipment.

Water department staff maintain the water mains running under city streets, as well as approximately 3500 service lines running from the mains to nearby curb stop valves. McCook has more than 50 miles of water main, according to Dutcher.

Today’s water restrictions limit city water customers to watering every other calendar day in correspondence with their street address. Customers with odd-numbered street addresses water on odd numbered calendar days and those with even numbered street addresses should water on even numbered calendar days.

Residential customers are asked not to water between the hours of noon and 6 p.m., with large commercial customers watering during that time.

All water customers are asked to reduce outside watering as much as possible.