Sylvania residents asked to restrict water use

6/20/2011

Sylvania officials want residents to use less water.

City Council adopted a resolution to that effect Monday night after utilities director Jeff Ballmer explained that demand was exceeding the capacity of the city’s 500,000-gallon water tank.

Consuming water indoors is fine, Mr. Ballmer said, but water customers with odd-numbered addresses should water their lawns and wash their cars on odd dates, and those with even-numbered addresses should do the same on even dates.

It is essential, he said, that the city maintain an adequate reserve of water in case of an emergency.

“We want to make sure we have an adequate flow in case there is a large fire,” he said.

The city has experienced this problem in past years, but always later in the summer. A new 2 million-gallon tank is planned and will greatly improve the situation once it is in service.

If voluntary restrictions did not work, council would have to consider imposing mandatory cutbacks, Mayor Craig Stough said.