Pottawatomie County Rural Water District #3 will face a temporary interruption of its water supply beginning Tuesday, July 19, 2011, and continuing through Saturday, July 23, 2011. The District’s source of raw water is Oklahoma City’s Atoka water line. A mechanical problem is forcing Oklahoma City to shut down the flow of water in the line for repairs for an undetermined length of time beginning Wednesday morning.
Because of current conditions, RWD #3 has been treating OKC’s raw water and distributing it at near plant capacity the last several weeks.
RWD #3 customers are asked to begin serious conservation immediately so that some reserve supply can be accumulated before the raw water supply is interrupted.
RWD #3 is in the process of ordering equipment to double the plant’s capacity and making connections to both the City of Tecumseh’s water system and the Water District’s second plant near Dale. These projects will be completed soon so the customers of RWD #3 will not be at the mercy of decisions made by the City of Oklahoma City’s Water Utilities Trust. Even though OKC is an excellent source of supply, the Water District is planning to diversify its sources of raw water.
RWD #3 serves approximately 650 residential customers along with the Towns of Asher and Wanette in the southern half of Pottawatomie County. Water customers of both Asher and Wanette are consequently also asked to conserve as they also face an interruption of water service.