Whitehouse Mayor to Address Water Issues During Meeting Tonight
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From Staff Reports
WHITEHOUSE — The city of Whitehouse on Monday slightly eased water restrictions.
WHITEHOUSE — The city of Whitehouse on Monday slightly eased water restrictions.
Under the new order, even-numbered addresses can water lawns only on Mondays. Odd-numbered addresses can water lawns only on Thursdays. Outdoor watering is prohibited on other days.
“Please try to keep your watering to a minimum of no more than 30 minutes if possible,” the restrictive order said. “Optimum watering time is midnight until 6 a.m. in the morning.”
Last month, the city requested residents with even addresses to water on even days and odd addresses on odd days. When that did not ease demand, the city banned all outdoor watering.
“If a large demand is placed back on our system, we will have no choice (but) to revert back to more restrictive measures,” said the copy of the order sent to the Tyler Paper.
During a special meeting of Whitehouse City Council at 6 p.m. today at city hall, 311 E. Main St., Mayor Danny Hogden will provide an update on water projects and restrictions, according to the agenda. He will also speak on a water contingency plan.
The council is also set to discuss the city’s proposed budget and tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year.
Whitehouse is dealing with problems because two new wells expected to have been completed by now are still not on line and the Southside Water Treatment Plant, a new 500,000 storage tank and pump station, is not set to be up and running until next month.
City Manager Ronny Fite has said that once the wells and plant are operating, the city will be in good shape. Until then, water rationing will be required.
“The City of Whitehouse will try to loosen these restrictions even further as we bring on our new wells,” said the new order.
Water restrictions come at a time when the city has not had significant rainfall for weeks and temperatures are consistently hovering near 100 degrees. Some residents have complained that lawns and landscaping are dying.
“I planted new shrubs and Japanese Maple trees in the spring. Now I risk losing them,” resident Connie Jacobson said in a letter to the Tyler Paper.
Leo Bradshaw, another Whitehouse resident, said he will likely have to pay at least $4,000 to replace his lawn.
Previously, Whitehouse purchased water from the city of Tyler pumped from Lake Tyler. Whitehouse chose not to renew the water contract and to develop its own water supply.
Although Tyler officials have said the city can still supply Whitehouse with water, Whitehouse officials have chosen not to pursue that option.
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