Homeland security gets involved with Indiana water conservation

Elkhart, Ind. -- The persistent hot dry weather has prompted the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to ask high-capacity water facilities in 32 counties to implement voluntary water conservatrion measures.

In our area, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble, and Elkhart are considered 6 of the 32 counties that are in the "warning level".

The goal of bing on the warning list means you are being asked to reduce your water use by 10 to 15 percent.

Letters will go out to owners and operators of facilities that have a capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons of water or more per day. The letters are part of the state's Water Shortage Plan.

Laura Kolo, the Utilities Service Manager with The Public Works & Utilities in the city of Elkhart said they haven't received a letter from the state yet, but she knows they will soon  because the city pumps close to ten million gallons per day on average. Right now with the dry weather she said Elkhart city residents are using around 16 to 17 million gallons per day.

"Well at this point we haven't asked for any voluntarily restrictions, as I mentioned, it's day to day, you know we get a couple another dry days, like we had last week without any rain and maybe we'll be asking to do some voluntary restrictions at that time (when they get the letter)," said Kolo. 

The other counties in Indiana are listed in the "watch level" and owners and operators of facilities that have a capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons of water or more per day in those counties are are asked to institute a variety of voluntary actions that will reduce water use by 5 percent.

Recommended actions in the Water Shortage Plan can be found at www.in.gov/dnr/water/files/watshplan.pdf