Most public facilities green spaces such as the park at Golden Hills and Sunrise drives (left) and the Cheney School District's Crunks Field took a beating during the recent water restrictions, although some residential lawns maintained their color and health.
City of Cheney officials have relaxed water restrictions imposed on June 30 after one of its deepest and largest producing wells went down with a mechanical failure.
The failure, coupled with very hot weather conditions, sent water levels at the city's five reservoirs plummeting from a normal 25–28 feet to 11.7 feet on July 7. Those levels have been slowly climbing, thanks to residents efforts in adhering to restrictions, and had reached 20.23 feet around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 11.
In a notification on its website, the city said it was allowing residents and businesses to resume irrigation under limited conditions in order to maintain safe levels needed for water pressure for firefighting. Residents and businesses may resume watering on an odd/even schedule as follows:
- Addresses ending in an odd number may water on odd calendar dates, and addresses ending in an even number may water on even calendar dates. If an automatic sprinkler timer does not have an odd/even program, then please schedule usage to 3–4 days per week. This includes all residential, commercial, and apartment properties.
- Lawn watering times: Watering times will be from 10 p.m. –8 a.m. or from 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. if you don't have an automatic timer.
- Amount of water: Restrict the amount of time lawn sprinklers are run, which will conserve water and help to maintain reservoir levels.
- Gardens and flowers: Watering of gardens and flowers is approved, 8 p.m. – 8 a.m. Use a soaker hose, drip system or water by hand. Apply mulch.
City officials have noted that Salnave, Moos and Sutton parks are irrigated from Well 4, which is a non-potable water well due to turbidity and not part of the drinking water system. Also, Eastern Washington University has its own wells that are not tied directly to the city's system.
There is an inter-tie water line between Cheney and the university which can exchange water between the two entities in times of need. Public Works Director Todd Ableman told the City Council at its July 11 meeting that Eastern had been supplying the city with about 300 gallons of water per minute during the day during the restriction.
The city was forced into the harsh irrigation measures by hot weather, coupled with the loss of its 2,134-foot deep Well 5. Originally thought to be a quick fix at the well head, more damage was discovered by the contractor, potentially forcing the removal of much of the pump's 630-foot shaft at the Presley Drive location.
The city may have dodged a bullet regarding the pump as the initial estimate of a two-week fix proved to be much shorter.
"Well 5 is back up and running as of late Saturday," Ableman said in a July 17 email. "The damage was not as extensive as our worst case scenario."
Ableman added that reservoirs are at safe levels, and asked that irrigators "limit irrigation watering as posted on our website."
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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