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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2005

CONTACT: Connie Kacprowicz
Communications Specialist
Office - (573) 874-7325

Water Use Alert issued					

	(COLUMBIA, MO) - Columbia Water and Light pumped a record 23.69
million gallons of water to the distribution system on Wednesday, July
20, and 21.13 million gallons of water on Thursday, July 21, which has
caused the utility to issue a Water Use Alert.  Water customers are
asked to start an alternate day watering schedule. For those with even
numbered addresses, they should water on even numbered dates, while
residents with odd numbered addresses can water on odd numbered dates.
Washing cars and filling pools is allowed, but discouraged.  
	The Columbia Water Treatment Plant has a pumping capacity of 24
million gallons a day. Columbia Water and Light's staff is closely
monitoring the consumption patterns and the weather forecast. Continued
dry conditions and high usage could lead to a Water Use Warning which
would prohibit all non-essential water use. 
	According to Floyd Turner, manager of Water Operations, "It
looks as if we might be in for the long haul with the drought conditions
which means continued peak water use. We want our customers to help with
voluntary water conservation before we get to 
the point where we would have to prohibit non-essential water use.
Anything our customers can do to help conserve water inside and outside
the home, along with alternate day watering will be a big help. We were
happy to see the amount of water Columbia was using on Thursday drop but
with the Show Me State Games bringing a lot of people to town, we want
to make sure we can keep up with demand."  
	When Columbia water use reaches the peak pumping capacity rate,
Columbia Water and Light closely watches the amount of water in storage
to cover emergencies like a large water main break or a large fire.
Additional water is available to the water distribution system through
an Aquifer System Recovery well and several deep wells in Columbia. The
Aquifer System Recovery well is an old deep well that was converted to
an underground water storage facility in 2004. It can deliver an
additional 1.5 million gallons of water a day to the distribution
system. Water can also be pumped from deep wells that the city used
before moving to wells in the McBaine, Mo., area in the 1970's. 
Columbia Water and Light has maintained these wells to serve as a back
up water source.  
	Turner said, "Columbia Water and Light has plans in place for
emergency water conditions and has back up water sources. However,
everyone still needs to help with conservation. These extra resources
need to be in place in case we have a large fire or another emergency.
"
	In 2003, Columbia voters approved a bond issue that financed the
expansion of the Columbia Water Treatment Plant. Construction was
started in the spring of 2005 and is expected to be completed in the
spring of 2006. The additions to the plant will enable a new pumping
capacity of 32 million gallons a day.


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