The Richmond Register

Local News

June 28, 2012

City asked to voluntarily conserve water

By Ronica Shannon Register News Writer

RICHMOND — Richmond residents are now being urged to use water conservatively during the dry, hot weather. A water conservation notice was issued Thursday from Mayor Jim Barnes on behalf of the Richmond Utilities Board.

“We are asking all residents of the City of Richmond to conserve water as much as possible to help ease the present condition,” Barnes said.

The Richmond Utilities company is having no problem producing the water the city needs, but “this is just proactive,” said Scott Althauser, Richmond Utilities Superintendent. “There’s no doubt we’re going to produce enough water for our citizens, this is just being ahead of the game, and hopefully, the game will never come to fruition.”

This also is 100-percent voluntary, Althauser emphasized.

“Limit your use of water by shortening the length of your shower, don’t let the water run while you’re brushing your teeth, don’t only run a half load of laundry. We just have to watch our natural resources.”

The city is asking all residents to curtail the use of water for all non-essential uses. This includes the non-commercial watering of gardens and lawns, the non-commercial washing of vehicles and any other non-essential uses.

Call the Richmond Utilities Water Department at 623-2323 for more water conservation tips.

Madison County’s water levels are “much below normal” based on information updated Thursday by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Drought conditions exist in three-fourths of the state and the dry spell has become severe in parts of western Kentucky, where farmers are at risk of low yields or no crops at all, according to The Associated Press.

The worsening drought comes as Kentuckians endure extreme heat. Forecasters predict temperatures in the 90s to triple digits.

The state climatologist’s office on Thursday put 24 western Kentucky counties in the severe drought category. In those areas, people face increased risk of wildfires, depletion of water supplies in wells, springs and ponds and higher demands on water treatment plants.

Another 66 counties are in moderate to severe drought. That area stretches from portions of western Kentucky to the state’s Appalachian region. In those counties, the dry spell is hurting soil moisture and vegetation, officials say.

Madison County’s forecast from the National Weather Services shows temperatures ranging from 96-102 today through July 4. The greatest chance of rain is predicted to be Tuesday with a 30 percent chance.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at 624-6608 or rshannon@richmond

register.com.

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