An disabled water pump at Lewisville's treatment facility has made the issue of heat and drought more serious.
On Thursday, a pump at the treatment plant burned a motor. In response, the city is asking residents to take further conservation measures.
For residents, it means using less water during what’s already an uphill fight – the pursuit of a green lawn.
“I think I'm making out OK,” said Lewisville resident Kashayla Moye, as she surveyed her front yard. “It's a constant battle between after dusk and fighting with the mosquitoes. As soon as it gets cool, I come out and start the sprinklers."
In Lewisville, where restrictions already mean water usage is way up, residents are being asked to further conserve. At the city's water treatment plant, a pump which pushes out ten million gallons of water a day burned out.
“Our biggest concern is not so much the pump,” said James Kunke, Lewisville’s director of community relations. “It's that water consumption is going up, and going up a lot."
In response, the city of Lewisville is asking residents to conserve water, at least through tomorrow – when pump repairs are supposed to be completed.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“The pump broke down. We have backups,” said Kunke. “But all three other pumps take a lot more pressure, a lot more work, and if a second pump were to break down we'd have a real situation."
A costly one. Kunke says having to buy water from the city of Dallas would cost about $280,000 annually -- much more expensive than any single lawn.
With restrictions in place -- preventing a brown lawn is an uphill battle.
“It goes with the territory,” said Moye. “As long as it looks green, I'm OK."
