(July 1, 2009)—Stage 5 water restrictions remained in effect Wednesday in Temple for residents west of FM 317, south of Airport Road and north of the Leon River, and other Central Texas communities are instituting similar restrictions as the heat takes a toll on water supplies and water systems.

Temple
Stage 5 restrictions were imposed Friday for western areas of the city because of a problem at a pump station kept some of the city’s aboveground tanks from refilling and then were rescinded Sunday.

They were reinstated Monday after the level of water in a 200,000-gallon storage tank, fell from a maximum of 20-feet to only one foot.

On Wednesday, the city acquired a mobile pump, which crews will work through the night to install and test. City officials expect that the pump will be providing additional water for the affected area late this week or early next week.

Bruceville-Eddy

Bruceville-Eddy has instituted Stage 2 restrictions for all customers. Outdoor watering is allowed for residents whose addresses end in even numbers from midnight Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday and from midnight Thursday until 5 a.m. Friday.

Residents whose addresses end in odd numbers may water from midnight Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday and from midnight Friday until 5 a.m. Saturday.

The same schedule applies to car-washing and filling pools.

Valley Mills

Valley Mills officials Tuesday instituted the first phase of the community’s drought contingency plan because of mechanical problems at one of the town’s two wells.

Under the plan, outdoor watering is limited to two days a week.

Residents with street addresses ending in even numbers may water on Sundays and Thursdays and residents with addresses that end in odd numbers may water on Saturdays and Wednesdays.

Watering should be limited to the hours between midnight and 10 a.m. or 8 p.m. and midnight on the designated days.

Mart

After urging residents to conserve water over the weekend, Mart officials are implementing tougher water-use restrictions Tuesday as demand continues to outpace supplies.

Mart Mayor Norm Hopping said Mart is issuing a stage-4 conservation notice at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The notice calls for mandatory restrictions, Hopping said and limits water use to bathing, cooking and drinking until further notice.

A pump failure led officials to issue an alert Saturday, calling for voluntary conservation.

On Wednesday, a boil order for water customers outside of the city limits of Mart that was issued on June 24 was rescinded.