(Harlan) A water watch remains in effect in Harlan. Harlan Municipal Utilities warns with warm weather on the way the current usage projections could elevate things to a water warning as soon as next week.
Due to low water supply, residents in late April were asked to limit hours of watering plants, avoid washing cars, streets, sidewalks, or building exteriors, and restaurants were to only serve water upon customer request. HMU CEO Ken Weber says for the most part those instructions have been followed. “We are still under a water watch. We’ve been fortunate over the last month with some of the cooler weather and rain, but we are now entering a warmer spell coming up so we’ll see what kind of challenges that brings.”
Next week the wells will go through some maintenance. “Three wells and hopefully that will help by the end of June help us increase our production a little bit to mitigate some of the demands on the system.”
The maintenance that will be performed includes an air burst. “To give you an example, as you draw in water you also draw in minerals which can accumulate and create a crust or a hardened area around the bottom of the well. The air burst kind of fractures any material that might have accumulated in that area that may restrict water intake.”
Depending on the state of the well, production can increase from 50 gallons per minute to 100 gallons per minute following treatment. Presently the water supply is adequate to meet average demand. However, Weber states summer months can put a strain on the system.
