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The cooler, wet, weather in May and June resulted in Alliance residents consuming less water.
Alliance Water Superintendent Mike Hulquist says he believes the trend will continue in July. He projects the City pumping 122 million gallons of water this month compared to 140 million gallons in July 2007. Alliance water usage in June 2008 was down about 16 percent from June 2007.
Hulquist says he believes the cooler weather was only part of the reason water use was down. He says higher rates implemented last October and another rate hike coming this October has also had an impact.
The drop in water usage this month certainly helped ease the strain on some of the city's wells, and also was a blessing because a well at Sixth and Elkhorn failed earlier this month.
Alliance residents may soon notice a change in the taste of their drinking water. Due to the federally unfunded mandate of Alliance treating its water for arsenic, Hulquist says chlorination will became mandatory.
