Medford Water Curtailed

The Medford Water Commission warns that water use might have to be curtailed

Bill Kettler April 14, 2010


If you get your water from the Medford Water Commission, you might have to get by with a little less in June and July.

Construction work on new fish-protection screens at the commission's Rogue River water treatment plant will reduce the available supply of water during early summer. While there should be enough to go around, things could get tight if extremely hot weather sets in early, spokeswoman Laura Hodnett said Tuesday.
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"We're trying to give our customers a heads-up that it could be coming," Hodnett said.

The water commission provides water for Medford, Central Point, Eagle Point, Phoenix, Talent, Jacksonville and White City. Hodnett said water system managers want to let customers know now that they might be asked to curtail water use in June or July.

She said the city should be able to provide about 50 million gallons of water per day, even while the new fish screens are installed. On an average summer day, water use runs around 45 million gallons or more, but peak demand on hot days has been known to exceed 60 million gallons per day.

"We hope Mother Nature doesn't give us an exceptionally hot June," she said.

Fish screens will be installed at both water intakes at the treatment plant on the Rogue River. One intake will be closed until the new screens are installed, and then the other. Oregon law allows in-stream construction work only during a limited time during the summer to protect spawning fish.

"We hope to be out (of the river) and done by July," she said.

If demand exceeds supply, water customers could be asked to reduce how much water they use, she said.

Hodnett said the project will cost about $1.5 million, including preconstruction studies, engineering and actual onsite work.

She encouraged water users to look for ways to improve their water efficiency, such as fine-tuning their sprinklers before the irrigation season begins.

She said a drier-than-average winter has reduced the output of the city's water source at Big Butte Springs on Mount McLoughlin by about 15 percent, which increases the need for river water. Big Butte Springs is running at about 27.5 million gallons per day, down from the average flow of about 31 million gallons.

"If spring flows were normal, we wouldn't be notifying customers," she said.