PORTALES, N.M. -- Portales residents are under a mandatory water rationing for the entire community. The residents are being asked to restrict their water use because two pumps at one of the city's well fields are malfunctioning.
The city issued a stage two water rationing alert on Thursday. All residents have been asked to stop watering lawns until the pumps are repaired or replaced and the level of the city's water tank reaches 20 feet.
The Portales News Tribune spoke with City Manager Tom Howell who said it's hard to tell when the restriction will be lifted, but the first pump should be fixed and back to normal production on Friday. He also said the other pump will be pulled and replaced.
The problem isn't a water shortage. The problem is that the two pumps production is decreasing, and the city is using more water than can be pumped into the city's storage tank.
Howell said the city's water tank is 35 feet deep, and usually sits around 34 feet. Water alerts are issued when the level drops below 20 feet and the city's drought contingency plan is implemented.
