The City of Hot Springs remains in a critical status in terms of available water, with crews working day and night in water production while others are shutting off water due to pipe bursts.
Everyone who receives city water is being asked to continue to conserve water whenever possible, including the following:
- Stop dripping faucets as temperatures have risen above the threshold for pipes to freeze.
- Skip a bath/shower, each of which uses an average of 25 gallons of water.
- Minimize water usage in dish washing and doing laundry by only washing what is absolutely necessary.
- Utilize the thermal water fountains downtown, which provides great water for drinking, brushing teeth and doing dishes. The roads downtown are clear, so if you can safely drive downtown from your home, this is a great, free option.
Some areas in higher elevations are experiencing little or no water pressure due to low levels in the storage tanks. Utilities staff are manipulating pumps and valves from midnight through 8 a.m. daily in an effort to gain tank volumes. This has been necessary to ensure enough water is available during the day.
There have been more than 3,000 reports of homes and businesses with water leaks, and the Utilities Department is receiving more than 200 calls per day requesting water be turned off due to pipe bursts. Crews are tracking down leaks and are shutting off water in order of highest usage priority.
Although water levels remain at a critical level, due to the efforts of Utilities staff, the city is not in a crisis situation. If conservation efforts are successful, the city will avoid having to issue a boil order and we will get water back to normal flows sooner.