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APPLE VALLEY, Washington County — Wells have run dry in Washington County's Apple Valley, leaving about 170 households without water. And those who do have water are being told to boil it before using it.
A social media post from the town of Apple Valley on Wednesday night said although the three wells were functional, no water was coming out and "the million gallon tank is empty."
"They went dry," Apple Valley Mayor Frank Lindhardt said. "We have 3 wells that aren't pumping any water. It's drained our storage tanks."
Lindhardt said there are about 170 homes without water because of this incident.
The first resident to report they had no water did so Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Big Plains Water Special Service District. Baratt Nielson, chairman of the Big Plains water district, said water board members immediately responded to the wells and found no water was being pumped.
"Further inspection indicated that the million gallon tank that serves the area was empty and the float on the tank was stuck and reading an incorrect water level," Nielson said in a statement Thursday.
Early investigation concludes either seismic activity or drilling may have caused the wells to drain.
"It's pretty upsetting," the mayor said. "Until we know what the problem is, it's difficult to determine how long it's going to last."
Thursday evening, the town of Apple Valley posted another alert about the drinking water in the town, advising everyone who is getting water into their houses to boil water for three minutes before using. Only boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes, food preparation and making ice.
The water draining led to a loss of pressure in the distribution system, which can cause movement of water from outside the pipe inward through cracks or breaks.
"Such a system failure carries with it a high potential that fecal contamination or other disease-causing organisms could enter the distribution system. These conditions may pose an imminent and substantial health endangerment to persons served by the system," says a statement from the Big Plains Water Board.
Town officials said any stored water or ice made from the town's recent water supply should be discarded as it may not have been adequately treated.
The Big Plains Water Board is bringing a truck full of non-potable water into the town to be used for flushing toilets and other non-potable needs. Residents can bring water buckets and containers to be filled at the roundabout entrance into the Cedar Point subdivision, where bottled water is also available.
Those with RVs can fill up water storage tanks at the Apple Valley Town Hall on 1777 N. Meadowlark Drive. A second truck will be bringing water for animals, Nielson said.
The mayor said the Red Cross is bringing drinking water citizens can pick up, and personnel from the Washington County Water Conservancy District is helping town officials to figure out what caused the drought.
"Please utilize other potable means of bringing water to your home. Purchasing water from the store or using the natural spring water that is approved for drinking at different locations in Hildale," Nielson said. "We encourage neighbors to check on neighbors and make sure everyone is well cared for."
Lindhardt said the town has seven wells in total between three water districts, but the three that are dry are all under just one water district. He said he is looking at long-term permanent solutions including applying for a grant from the state to run a pipe on the other side of town.
The mayor reminds anyone affected by the water shortage to turn off water heaters as they can be dangerous when they are running with no water.
