Kansas town declares emergency 2 days after mandating water restrictions
A Kansas town declared a water emergency on Thursday as ice jams upriver continue to cause record low water levels on the Missouri River.
The Atchison City Commission held a special meeting Thursday to adopt a new resolution declaring a water emergency in the town of nearly 11,000 people, 60 miles northwest of Kansas City on the Missouri River, according to a city news release.
City officials have said ice jams up to 60 miles long upriver from Atchison are causing ongoing issues. It’s not clear when the ice will clear enough to restore normal water usage in Atchison. They are mandating that some groups conserve water.
“All industries and businesses that are affected by these measures have been contacted directly via a tiered protocol based on water consumption,” the news release said.
Other groups, such as schools, homeowners and the rural water district are not currently under the water conservation mandate, according to the Thursday release. But everyone is still asked to voluntarily conserve water when possible while still maintaining good hygiene.
Mandatory water conservation efforts were initially announced Tuesday in order to continue meeting the water demands of the city residents, farmers and businesses.
“All customers are encouraged to conserve water beyond the described restrictions where possible and safe to do so,” Tuesday’s release said.
Medical facilities are exempt from the mandate, though they are still being asked to limit water usage when possible.
“The primary intake cannot currently pump any water due to the river level so the city is utilizing an auxiliary pump which does not have the capacity to move as much water as the primary intake,” city officials said.
The city cautioned Atchison residents to conserve water as possible, because any further complications to water supply, such as a water main break, could have a “tremendous impact” on the city’s water supply.
