You Ask, We Investigate: Water Conservation

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Dan Garcia

Story Created: Mar 6, 2009 at 6:15 PM CST

Story Updated: Mar 6, 2009 at 6:53 PM CST

Now that the City of Wichita Falls has gone into stage one voluntary conservation measures.... it is obvious we will save water. But there are some other possible ramifications Wichita Falls residents could face.

"...The only thing that will solve the drought and the dry conditions is a good rainfall."

Public Works Director Russell Schreiber says the City of Wichita Falls has come a long way in preserving our water supply from the drought stricken early 2000-s. Since then, the reverse osmosis plant is processing water from Lake Kemp.

"...It's made us more drought tolerant... It hasn't made us drought proof," said Schreiber.

And the rainless bout we're experiencing is proving the reverse osmosis plant is handling the situation as it should.

"...If the R.O Plant and Lake Kemp hadn't been brought on line in September, we probably would have been... We probably would have entered stage one sooner," said Schreiber.

That's the good news. But as one "You Ask, We Investigate" caller reminded us from the last drought... Wichitans did such a good job at conserving, it forced water rates up. And when Public Works Director Schreiber was asked about that... he wouldn't commit to an automatic rate hike again.

"And I'm not going to tell you that they're going to go up or go down... You're exactly right. It's a user fee system. You use the water and you're going to have to pay for it," says Schreiber.

Schreiber says the water system is not funded from the taxes. The system is all funded through user fees. And those user fees must keep up with the operation of the water treatment plants. As several people have pointed out... It's much better to go to the faucet and have water that's safe to drink... rather than no water at all.

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