Repairs to the Lee Creek Water Treatment Plant continued Monday as crews hoped to complete the work to restore water pressure to the area in a quicker time than expected.
A part had to be ordered to repair the plant that provides water to not just Fort Smith but Van Buren customers. The city of Van Buren buys water from Fort Smith. There are no boil-water notices for Fort Smith residents but there have been for Cedarville.
Progress was reported Monday. The Lee Creek Plant was operational, but tests will continue to make sure the water quality passes state testing. More tests are needed through Friday.
The Arkansas Department of Health issued a boil-water notice to the Van Buren Waterworks Department Saturday for their customers north of Interstate 40 and an area south to Hynes Street between Fayetteville Road and N. 13th Street, south to Northview Street, and the Mount Vista, Vista Hill, Heritage Heights and Park Heights areas.
The order was issued as a precautionary measure because of the possibility that contaminated water may have entered the distribution system as a result of water tank maintenance at the treatment plant, the state department of health reported.
Extra water from Lake Fort Smith, about five millions gallons a day, has helped fill reservoirs and supplies, Fort Smith officials reported Monday.
Meanwhile, under the boil-water notice, all affected customers are advised that water used for drinking or food preparation must be boiled briskly for one minute prior to use. All ice cubes should be discarded and only boiled water used for making more ice.
The notice will be lifted by the Department of Health when two sets of 15 bacteriological samples show that the water is free of bacterial contamination and an adequate disinfectant level is established throughout the distribution system, the state department of health reported.
ion, outdoor water use/washing, filling swimming pools, etc. The City Water Utilities strongly encourages residents and businesses to conserve water at this time.
Water conservation is critical. Without conservation, areas that are served by Fort Smith are experiencing low water pressure or are not receiving water at all. Please pitch-in temporarily and use less water.
Yesterday Fort Smith residents and the City's contract wholesale users were notified that water conservation restrictions went into effect. Today Carl Geffken, City Administrator, issued the following warning - "Water use by our contract users and city residents needs to be reduced more so we can maintain the water supply and pressure to all users."
Fort Smith water customers should reduce their water usage immediately. Continued water usage could result in a mandatory boil order if water levels in Fort Smith storage tanks continue to drop.
In Fort Smith and Van Buren conservation restrictions are in place.
More:Van Buren residents experiencing low to no water pressure Friday
People are asked not to use water to such an extent as to allow water to escape from his premises onto public property, such as alleys or streets, nor onto another person's property.
Residents should refrain from watering lawns, shrubs, plants, trees, and gardens except by handheld hose and limit watering to the minimum amounts necessary to sustain plant life. All lawn and turf watering from city sources is prohibited.
Washing motor vehicles, trailers, airplanes, or boats should be cut back but this does not include commercial car washes and licensed dealerships, but we ask they use as little water as possible.
People are asked not to fill swimming pools or fountains, wash building exteriors, the news release states.
The use of water from fire hydrants at any time for construction purposes, fire drills, or routine hydrant testing is prohibited. Only non-potable water may be used for dirt compaction, earth moving operations, or street base course construction, the news release states.
Golf course watering and other commercial irrigation from city sources shall be done only to the extent necessary to preserve turf and other plant life. Golf courses are permitted to water only greens and tee boxes from city sources. Golf course fairway and rough watering and school football and baseball field watering from city sources is specifically prohibited.
The washing of sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios, parking lots, concrete tennis courts, and other hard-surfaced areas by hosing or by use of water directly from faucets or other city sources is prohibited. Food processing and food service establishments may engage in such use of water only to the extent necessary to maintain and preserve the public health and in compliance with any state or federal regulations. Restaurants and other food service establishments may hose or wash only walkways immediately adjacent to entrances and not beyond 10 feet of entrances and not beyond 10 feet of garbage facilities, food delivery or food serving areas.