According to Citizen’s Water (the organization providing water to 300,000 residences in Fishers, Marion County and other area communities), the recent watering bans imposed in late July impacted the usage and the reservoirs.
Sarah Holsapple, Media Relations Coordinator at Citizens Energy Group, said that overall daily usage dropped by 50 million gallons of water.
Holsapple said the company’s all-time record for drawing water from local reservoirs hit 230 million gallons in one day during the end of June. According to Holsapple, daily usage typically fluctuates.
Unless major rainstorms pelt the region for several days in a row, Holsapple said that Citizens Water will continue to operate under a “water shortage warning” for the rest of the summer.
Community watering bans are meant to keep Citizens Water out of a state of emergency.
The ban in Fishers has met opposition.
Town Manager Scott Fadness said, as last of last week, that the Town of Fishers has addressed more than 500 individual complaints thus far.
He said 187 verbal and written warnings were issued since the beginning of the mandatory watering ban, as well as five $500 fines.
To ensure compliance, Fadness said the town is doing exactly what it should.
Before the bans were put in place, Citizens Water saw a 40% usage of water going towards irrigation purposes, which now sits at 10-15% usage.
“We’d like to see that cut back even more,” Holsapple said.
Currently, the Morse Reservoir, which is closer to two Citizens Water treatment facilities, is 5.75 feet lower than ‘full,’ and Geist Reservoir is about 1.9 feet from full.
Citizens Water started drawing from the Geist Reservoir to relieve Morse, which, in turn, is typically used when the White River needs relief.
Holsapple said Citizens Water has not been notified of any water pressure issues so far.