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7.28.03 Water restrictions likely to stay Unless a solid rainy spell hits, voluntary restrictions on outdoor watering will remain in place in the Omaha area through the end of the summer. Tom Wurtz, general manager for the Metropolitan Utilities District, said the utility came dangerously close to having problems with water pressure Saturday because of the sudden surge in demand. Had customers not cut back after M.U.D. issued its alert and had the utility not made internal changes, M.U.D. might have had problems providing sufficient water pressure for fire protection, he said. Saturday's high of 102 degrees came on the heels of three mostly dry weeks and sent homeowners outdoors in droves to water their yards. Demand shot up to 205 million gallons for the day, 16 percent higher than the previous Saturday. The last good rain in the Omaha area came over the July Fourth weekend when 1.15 inches fell. Sunday, a splattering of rain fell, about .06 inch. The metro area is 2.34 inches behind normal for rainfall in June and July. This is the third summer that M.U.D. has asked customers to restrict outdoor water use. Under the alert, citizens are asked to water lawns and wash cars every other day. Those whose addresses end in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 are asked to water on days ending in those numbers. Likewise, those whose addresses end in an even number are asked to water outdoors only on even-numbered days. M.U.D. also asks that people refrain from filling swimming pools, hosing down driveways or using water fountains that don't recycle water. Click here for water conservation tips. |
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