Plano Flushes Double Amount Of Water Than Usual
PLANO (CBSDFW.COM) – Relaxed water restrictions are having an unexpected and upsetting outcome in Plano where the amount of water pouring from its water hydrants has doubled, at least 115,000,000 gallons this month.
Despite allowing residents to water their lawns more, the city is having to flush more water than ever down the drain.
"That's a lot of water being wasted," said Plano resident Frank Pellicone.
The North Texas municipal water district recommended its cities return to weekly watering to improve water quality and reduce the need for flushing.
"I was hoping it'd go down. I really was. Unfortunately, it hasn't," said Plano Public Works Director Jerry Cosgrove.
Since the switch to weekly watering people are using more on the days they water their lawn and even the days they don't.
"Everyone's sitting here getting angrier and angrier. because we're sitting here watching our trees die, our lawns die... and this water's going down the drain," said resident Judith Alderete.
The landscape may benefit from increased watering, but it doesn't make much sense in the midst of a drought, according to Alderete.
"It doesn't add up and I haven't seen any rain so I don't know where it's coming from," said Alderete.
The city actually shut off the water tower in southeast Plano where they were having problems. Now, it's southwest Plano that's having issues.
The biggest problem is near the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve.
"It's a far southwest portion of our distribution system, so a lot of time the water there tends to get a little older," said Cosgrove.
Next year, city officials will try to predict where issues will be, so they can find solutions before the water goes bad and has to be flushed. They said cooler temperatures in the fall will help by helping slow chlorine dissolution and ammonia build up.
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