Bell County’s Water Facility Running Low, Conservation Needed Now

You might need to keep those showers short this week. 

Water Conservation Request 

The Bell County Water Control and Improvement District #1 is asking that Nolanville, Killeen, Fort Hood and Copperas Cove residents reduce their water usage this week. According to KCEN, the region's main treatment facility is undergoing construction and is operating at 39% reduced capacity. 

Vast Reduction in Water 

According to Interim General Manager Trevor Butler, on a good day, the facility has a capacity of 50 million gallons, but that has dropped to 30 million gallons. Following the frigid weather, the problem may get worse. 

Broken Pipes 

Area residents were dripping their faucets during the cold snap, and Butler tells KCEN that the practice contributed to the increase in water usage...but it did not cause the problem. A bigger problem may reveal itself in the form of broken water lines caused by the deep freeze. 

Easy Ways to Conserve Water 

Using less water each day doesn’t have to be problem if you plan. You can wait to do laundry until you have a full load. You can delay running the dishwasher until it is full. You can also shorten your shower time. Butler tells KCEN that if we dip below freezing again, do not hesitate to drip your faucets, but be sure to turn the water off in the morning. He also says to keep an eye out on those pipes because the sooner you see damage, the sooner it can be repaired. This will minimize unnecessary water loss. He says he does expect capacity to increase as the week goes on.