With water usage increasing, the City of Storm Lake is encouraging residents to use water conservation measures with the city’s voluntary water conservation plan remaining in effect.
According to a press release from the City of Storm Lake, water use recently has climbed to as high as 4.9 million gallons per day—or near the maximum sustainable level of water production for the city’s water system.
If use continues to climb, the city would have to enact mandatory water conservation measures, which would apply to residents of Storm Lake, Lakeside, Lake Creek, Truesdale, and rural Storm Lake users of the city’s water system.
The City of Storm Lake encourages residents to do their part to keep water demand at a manageable level. The city says this is particularly important during the summer season, when water demand typically peaks. A majority of increasing seasonal demand has been seen in residential areas, reflecting growth in population and housing units.
The city has responded to the increased water usage with the development of additional wells, a current project constructing the largest water tower in city history, and planning toward a future water treatment plant construction project.
In the meantime, the city says keeping demand more consistent helps to ensure a stable water supply for all users as well as an adequate reserve in the towers in the event that water is needed for firefighting.
