Eastland Water Supply District now at Stage 1 water rationing

The Eastland County Water Supply District Board rescinded temporary Stage 4 water restrictions for the city, though it remains in Stage 1 of its drought contingency plan.

Lake Leon's reservoir has fallen below the surface elevation of 1,369 feet, indicating a "mild water shortage condition," said Chad Roberts, district superintendent, in a statement.

That stage of the drought reduction plan requests a voluntary 10% reduction in daily water demand until further notice, Roberts said.

Lake Leon water levels and conditions continue to deteriorate as the lake's conservation storage decreases, he said.

The water district plans to continue to monitor lake elevations, water quality and daily usage reports.

"In the near future, the ECWSD will have contractors replacing a large valve at the raw water pump station," which could temporarily reduce the amount of water being sent to cities, he said. "If this situation calls for an immediate water shortage, our customers will be notified."

On Aug. 8, the city of Eastland temporarily entered Stage 4 of its drought plan, due to a mechanical issue with its water supply.

That situation required work with the water district, the city of Ranger and others to fix the issue, said J.J. Oznick, Eastland's city manager, in a statement.

Stage 4 restrictions included no filling of swimming pools and no outdoor watering of any kind, including watering grass and washing cars, sidewalks, driveways, buildings, etc.

The Stage 4 restrictions required a 40% reduction in overall water usage until intake needs were reestablished, Oznick said.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Eastland Water Supply District now at Stage 1 water rationing