Please read the following Water Emergency FAQ to answer the most commonly asked questions regarding the water emergency.
WHAT CAUSED THIS WATER EMERGENCY?
The City of Heath operates a single pump station that has two 300-HP Pumps and a single 200-HP Pump to move water from our 3.0-MG Ground Storage Tank to customers in the City.
Due to the failure of one of the 300-HP pumps on June 22, the City’s ability to pump water to its customers was limited to approximately 4.5 million-gallons-per-day (MGD) instead of the 6 million-gallons-per-day (MGD) as allowed by its provider, the City of Rockwall.
DID THE EQUIPMENT FAILURE TRIGGER STAGE 2 WATER RESTRICTIONS?
Yes, due to the City’s reduced ability to pump water, a water emergency was declared, and Stage 2 water restrictions were immediately initiated on June 23 for all City of Heath residential and commercial customers.
IS THIS REALLY A WATER CRISIS?
Yes, if customer demand exceeds 4.5 million gallons per days, the system could experience a loss of pressure in the distribution system and require a Boil Water Notice.
WHAT IS A BOIL NOTICE?
A boil water notice is a public statement advising people to boil their tap water before consuming it, typically in response to an event that has (or could have) introduced contaminants into the water distribution system. Such events include a large water main break, widespread loss of system pressure, or results of routine sample testing in the system.
Although waterborne diseases are extremely rare, they can be serious. The risk is higher for infants, the elderly and people with immune deficiency disorders.
A boil notice can also result in the closure of businesses such as restaurants, grocery stores and schools due to a lack of safe water for consumption, cleaning and sanitation requirements.
WHAT ARE STAGE 2 RESTRICTIONS?
The greatest demand for water in the City is from customers using irrigation systems to water their landscaping and lawns. So, the most important restriction is aimed at reducing that usage by limiting customers to watering once per week with their irrigation systems on their assigned day.
WHAT IS THE WATERING SCHEDULE? WHEN CAN I IRRIGATE?
The schedule is based upon the last number of your house address:
- 1 or 2 MONDAY
- 3 or 4 TUESDAY
- 5 or 6 WEDNESDAY
- 7 or 8 THURSDAY
- 9 or 0 FRIDAY
For example, if your house number is 1265, your designated day is Wednesday.
WHAT TIME CAN I IRRIGATE ON MY SCHEDULED DAY?
No watering is allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. These are the hottest hours of the day when water evaporates quickly.
I JUST PUT IN NEW LANDSCAPING AND SOD, CAN I GET A WAIVER?
This is a serious situation requiring everyone to do their part to conserve water. Waivers cannot be granted for new sod or landscaping.
Exceptions are being considered for those who recently put in new sod on a case-by-case basis.
Please send all requests by email to: mholzapfel@heathtx.com.
CAN I WATER TREES, PLANTS, LANDSCAPING WITH A SOAKER HOSE OR HAND HELD DEVICE?
Yes, you can water trees, plants and landscaping with a soaker hose or handheld device on any day, but not between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
WHEN WILL THE FAILED PUMP BE FIXED?
The failed pump was removed from the City of Heath on Monday, June 26, and has been with the contractor. It takes a few days to completely disassemble the equipment for a comprehensive analysis. The contractor has informed the City that we will have a diagnosis and answer regarding repair options by the evening of Thursday, June 29. Information on this will be on the website by June 30. The best case scenario is that it will be repaired and re-installed in two to three weeks. The need to replace the pump would require a longer time frame. Again, the city is pushing the demand capacity regardless of this equipment failure… our daily allotment from the City of Rockwall is 6.0 million gallons.
HAS THE CITY BEEN PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY LIKE THIS?
The City has been planning and preparing for long term solutions to increase the water system delivery capacity. This is not a quick fix, and it is a costly infrastructure investment, but citizens need and deserve this reliability. City leaders and staff understand that and are working hard on this issue.
CAN THE CITY BUY A NEW WATER PUMP?
City staff with the assistance of Freeman-Millican, Inc. has started the process to secure a new 300-HP pump and motor to upgrade the existing 200-HP pump. This improvement was planned and under design but is being expedited using emergency procurement procedures. However, procurement lead time for pumps and associated electric motors is long and the additional 300-HP pump will not likely be in place until early fall.
DOES THE CITY STOCK SPARE PUMPS, MOTORS, ETC. AS BACKUPS FOR THESE TYPE OF PUMP FAILURES?
The City does not stock spare pumps or motors for the pump station. These assets are highly reliable, and failure is rare. The pump that is being repaired was in place and operating for 18 years before this first failure. Purchasing and long-term storage of very expensive high-lead time parts that might fail is impractical as these assets degrade without climate-controlled storage to prevent moisture damage and corrosion. However, staff is exploring adding the procurement of spare pumps and motors with a proposed pump and motor upgrade that is planned for this year.
DOES THE CITY PERFORM PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE (PM) ON THE PUMPS AT THE PUMP STATION?
Yes, Utility Division staff make daily visits to the pump station to monitor the condition of the pumps, motors and associated electrical equipment. The large electric motors are serviced yearly. The pump station is also monitored using an electronic Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA) that monitors system functions. When the pump failure occurred, the pump was automatically shut down by the SCADA system as it detected a problem and made the shut down before other components of the system were damaged.
IS GROWTH AN ISSUE THAT WILL AFFECT OUR CITY’S WATER SUPPLY?
Yes, that’s why the City of Heath 2018 Comprehensive Plan embraces low density with a residential development mandate of only one home per acre. Any new commercial development is also restrictive. Any densely built home developments in the community that are continuing to develop were approved well before 2018. The 2018 plan reflects a deep understanding that water is a precious resource that will only become more limited in the years to come due to weather patterns, growth throughout the state, and limited water rights in Texas. Residential development in surrounding cities is controlled by those cities, not the City of Heath.
CAN’T THE CITY JUST STOP ALLOWING PEOPLE TO BUILD NEW HOMES HERE?
Stopping any type of construction is done through a legal tool called a “moratorium”. A building moratorium involves several steps that are established by state law and take approximately 3 or 4 weeks to complete before the city can require construction to stop.
There are also some types of projects that may be protected by state law from a moratorium including:
- Construction projects that applied for a permit before a moratorium.
- Platted projects where water service was approved during platting process.
- Construction projects that are part of an agreement that specifically exempts the project from moratoriums.
- Projects that do not need water service.
The city staff and legal counsel are exploring whether a moratorium should be considered as an effective tool for reducing water use. No moratorium is in place at this time. Should the City Council decide to establish a moratorium, there will be public notices, public meetings, and information shared before any action is taken.
