Jamestown asks residents to restrict water usage

Jamestown is asking residents to restrict water usage through Wednesday morning due to construction at the water treatment plant.

“If the community cooperates we’ll get through this easily,” said Steve Suko, acting water superintendent.

An additional two clear wells are being installed at the plant as a backup system in case something would happen to the one clear well it has now, Suko said.

A clear well is an in-plant reservoir that holds 600,000 gallons of water.

In order for the new clear wells to be functional, the water line that leads from the plant to the 2-million-gallon main reservoir will be modified starting Tuesday morning.

“This is progressive planning,” Suko said. “It gives us redundancy in our system and redundancy is a good thing.”

Jamestown’s water usage is near 5 million gallons a day, he said. In winter the amount of water used is closer to 2.2 million gallons a day.

“We’re in our highest water usage period right now because of high temperatures and lack of rain,” Suko said,

The city is asking residents to conserve water. The main way to restrict water usage would be not watering lawns, he said. Other ways people can restrict water usage would be taking shorter showers and not running dishwashers.

Restrictions were asked to start Monday morning in order to save water in case of an emergency.

If residents using city water don’t restrict usage and there is an emergency, like a fire, there is the possibility that water could run out, Suko said.

“We’re trying to save it in case we need it for an emergency,” he said.

Construction on the water line is expected to start early Tuesday morning. It could be completed by noon, but a construction setback could push the completion time further back.

Water usage restrictions are in place until 7 a.m. Wednesday.

“This has been meticulously planned,” Suko said. “I anticipate everything will go smoothly, but there’s always that lingering doubt until it’s finished.”

Sun reporter Ben Rodgers can be reached at 701-952-8455 or by e-mail at brodgers@jamestownsun.com

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