Clark Public Utilities is asking Hockinson-area residents to limit their water consumption to personal necessities after usage increased dramatically over the weekend, setting a record.
The agency is asking its 3,042 customers south of Allworth Road, east of 167th Avenue to state Highway 500, to conserve as much water as possible until the infrastructure can recover. Where Clark Public Utilities customers normally consume about 25 million gallons of water per day from the area’s aquifer, this weekend, the utility pumped about 33 million gallons per day, according to agency spokesman Dameon Pesanti.
The utility is requesting that people don’t water gardens or lawns and stop recreational water usage. Pesanti called it an “urgent situation” and said “unless customers reduce their consumption, the availability could be temporarily depleted.”
Although the aquifer is in good condition, the pumps and storage tanks are draining faster than they can be refilled, he said.
