EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) issued a public notice on Thursday, May 2 temporarily prohibiting outdoor water use in its service area that includes Sunland Park and Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the utility announced in a press release.
Photo courtesy of CRRUA
This temporary interruption of outdoor water service prohibits outdoor water use through Wednesday, May 8, according to CRRUA.
CRRUA said the public notice was issued due to extremely low water levels resulting from high water use and two water wells that are offline for repairs and maintenance.
“This is not an emergency declaration,” said CRRUA Interim Executive Director Juan Carlos Crosby. “In issuing this public notice, CRRUA takes into consideration public safety. We need to ensure that fire officials in the city of Sunland Park and Dona Ana County have the water reserves they require for fire suppression.”
Prohibited residential outdoor water use includes irrigation, car washing, hosing down patios, driveways, and sidewalks, and commercial construction involving the use of water hydrants.
The public notice also pertains to public parks and school grounds, according to CRRUA.
Crosby said it’s also a proactive way of working with residents to be conscientious about how they use water.
“CRRUA will monitor water production and water use around the clock. As soon as water storage tanks reach acceptable capacities, we will immediately notify customers that the public notice is no longer in effect,” said Crosby.
Meanwhile, CRRUA continues to ask customers to practice indoor water conservation.
Tips provided by CRRUA include:
Bathroom:
Shorten showers. Because water is scarce in our dry state, turn the water off while shampooing and soaping – then turn it back on to rinse.
Install a low-flow showerhead that can reduce water flow from approximately five gallons per minute down to 2.5 gallons or even less.
Install a water-efficient toilet that can save two to five gallons of water per flush.
Do not use the toilet to dispose of trash and flush the toilet less.
Install a low-flow faucet that uses 2.5 gallons or less per minute.
Kitchen:
By using a water-efficient clothes washer you can save approximately 15 gallons per load.
No matter what kind of clothes washer you have, you’ll save water if you wash only full loads.
Install a water-efficient dishwasher and save seven or more gallons for every load of dishes.
Use the automatic dishwasher only for full loads.
Install a low-flow faucet in your kitchen.
If you wash dishes by hand, don’t leave the water running while rinsing. Remember, an older faucet uses up to five gallons of water per minute.
Use collected water for watering plants.
Be a water detective:
Find and fix leaks. A slow, steady faucet drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons per day; a faster drip can waste 100 gallons or more. Many faucet leaks can be repaired with an inexpensive washer.
Also check for toilet leaks, which can silently waste hundreds of gallons of water.
Outdoor leaks can be extremely wasteful, too. Repair broken sprinklers and leaky drip lines.
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