Officials watching water supply levels closely

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July 1, 2012

Officials watching water supply levels closely

City implements voluntary water restrictions

By Trent Moore The Cullman Times The Cullman Times Sun Jul 01, 2012, 08:00 AM CDT

It may be hot and dry, but it hasn’t reached drought levels in Cullman — at least, not yet.

With rainfall slim in recent weeks, and temperatures in the low 100s, officials have now implemented phase I of the water conservation plan, which calls for area residents to take voluntary measures to use less water until conditions improve. Some nearby counties are taking similar steps this week.

“The lake levels are down and usage is up, so we’re asking for voluntary conservation efforts,” Cullman Mayor Max Townson said. “We’re encouraging all citizens and water customers to begin voluntary conservation.”

City officials are keeping a close eye on the local water supply in Lake Catoma, as the lake provides water for both the city and county, and is currently the only source of water for the area — at least until the Duck River reservoir is completed in the next few years.

The lake level is down more than five feet below full pool. Admittedly not dire levels, but lower than officials would prefer. If it dips a few more feet, officials could be forced to take even more preventative action to conserve water.

“We start looking hard when it gets 8-feet down, and at that point I notify the mayor and we go from there,” city water plant manager David Freeman said. “If it gets below 10-feet we go straight into effect [with the water conservation plan].”

Over the past month, the lake has drawn approximately 13.1 million gallons-per-day, though water usage has ticked up to nearly 16 million gallons-per-day the past week as scorching temps and arid conditions persist.

“Everything has been up at least 20 percent the last 10 or so days, but if you look back, we’re still about on par with last year,” Freeman said.

Dry as it may be, the current conditions are nowhere close to matching the 2007 drought that brought Catoma within just a few months of running dry. Catoma dipped to 26 feet below full pool in 2007, forcing officials to implement strict water conservation guidelines to keep the reservoir operational.

Rainfall totals are down approximately 5-6 inches to-date for 2012, which a National Weather Service official described as a “significant” decrease.

The dry heat has already put a portion of Cullman County under a drought advisory, and Cullman County Emergency Management Agency Director Phyllis Little said the footprint could spread by next week.

“We are definitely in an extreme dry spell right now, but I don’t think we’re to the point of being called a serious drought or extreme drought,” she said. “There’s no measurable rain in the forecast for at least another week, so yes, it could get serious. As of now, the extreme northwest corner of Cullman County is showing a Drought 1, which is moderate, on the U.S. Drought Monitor. The rest of the county is just showing abnormally dry conditions.”

* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.

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