A call for extreme water conservation was placed in effect last Thursday evening, Oct. 24, for customers who receive their water supply through the Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority (OMRPWA). The conservation alert remained in place until Sunday morning. Jasper had been conserving water and reported its water storage tanks were refilling and there was no longer a need to conserve water. It was emphasized there was no boil water order in effect because the city's water system never lost pressure.
According to Andy Anderson, chairman at OMRPWA, the need for conservation arose due to a malfunction at the booster pump station located south of Lead Hill on Zinc Road. Anderson explained the pump moves water up to the main tank on the hill. Anderson said at around 7 p.m. Thursday, an individual driving past the station on Zinc Road observed water spraying from the station and reported it.
“There are three pumps in that booster station, and a joint failed in the piping that goes out of the booster station,” Andrews said. The water pouring into and under the structure raised it off the ground at one corner. Anderson measured the building’s lift at 12 inches. He explained that part of the repair to the station will include getting the building readjusted into place.
OMRPWA had some replacement parts arriving from Texarkana for the station on Thursday afternoon, but Anderson said they would not know the full extent of the damage or the time needed to restore operation of the station until after more investigation could be conducted Friday evening.
“It could be electrical damage, too. We really don’t know yet,” said Anderson. “There are lots of electrical parts in the station. We will have two of the service representatives who service the electrical components looking at them.”
In addition to the electrical servicers, OMRPWA had two different contractors on site assisting, as well as the water association staff.
Water conservation was requested to prevent users from running out of water supply before the pump could be restored. Anderson reported that the Leslie community had exhausted its supply by Friday afternoon.
He explained that sometimes people will panic and use more water than usual, attempting to stockpile it, rather than to conserve. This is an inadvisable practice that could lead to a shortage — it is the opposite of what should be done.
Communities served through the OMRPWA began posting water conservation advisories within an hour of the discovery of the issue.
Newton County community associations and municipalities on the water system are Nail-Swain, Deer, Parthenon, City of Jasper, Town of Western Grove, Mt Sherman, East Newton County and Mockingbird Hill.
The Ozark Cafe in Jasper closed on Saturday in response to the water shortage as well as Low Gap Cafe The Jasper Pizza Company report it was providing to go service only on Saturday. Jasper School dismissed classes at 1 p.m. last Friday and the elementary school's fall festival had been rescheduled.
