Apple Valley wells start refilling; boil order still in effect

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APPLE VALLEY — A week after wells ran dry in the southern Utah town of Apple Valley, the water tanks are starting to refill and residents are allowed "normal use" of water again, according to water district officials.

The situation started on Sept. 20 when a resident reported no water was coming to their home. Town officials on said in a Facebook post three wells were functional, but no water was coming out and "the million gallon tank is empty."

Mayor Frank Lindhardt said there were about 170 homes without water and initial investigations showed seismic activity or drilling may have caused the wells to drain.

On Saturday, town officials said the wells were running again and water would be flowing through pipes soon, but residents should conserve water so the tanks have time to refill. Restrictions were put in place to shower, as if camping, by turning off the water except for when rinsing, not running washing machines and flushing toilets only when necessary.

A Thursday statement from Baratt Nielson, chairman of Big Plains Water Special Service District, thanked everyone for conserving water use and "inside your home" use restrictions were lifted. He said residents may now use water as normal for showering and washing, but outdoor restrictions are still in place.

"The wells have been producing water consistently for the past two days and the level in the tank is rising," the statement says.

A boil alert for drinking water was issued on Sept. 21. As the water drained it 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, allowing for potential contamination.

Thursday's statement says a boil advisory is still in place until the town gets "a couple more negative Bac-T tests. We already passed the first round of tests. That will take a couple more days to get the results."

"We look forward to lifting all restrictions and returning to normal very soon," the statement says.

Residents are also under a full burn ban. All burning for land clearing and yard debris is prohibited and violations could be considered class C misdemeanors, due to the town not having enough water, according to St. George News.