LONOKE, Ark. — Update: According to officials at Lonoke Public Works, they are now caught up on repairs. The water plant usually runs for 4 hours in each cycle, however, yesterday it ran for 19 hours.
Water is still expected to have some discoloration, but is still safe to use. A plan is in place to resolve this issue, though it may take a couple of days to fully implement.
Once the water issue is resolved and demand on the plant dies down, they can then begin flushing the system through fire hydrants to flush any remaining color completely out of the system.
The City of Lonoke has been placed under a water conservation order until further notice due to a shortage caused by leaking pipes and excessive usage from people running faucets.
In a Facebook post shared earlier today, Lonoke Public Works stated, "We are at risk of running out of water. Please conserve water as much as you can".
Officials explained that due to the critically low levels, the water coming out of residents' faucets may be yellow or slightly discolored.
They have now identified the leaks and are working on repairing them. However, they do still ask that customers conserve water. They also advise that when faucets are left on to leave them dripping rather than on a constant stream.
The cold weather combined with the increased frequency that the water plant is having to meet demands is killing the detention time aspect of the plant.
According to Lonoke Public Works Director Thomas Stivers, the water is still safe to drink and use. A boil water notice has not been issued, however, residents may do so if they would like to.
Lonoke's backup water source is the Grand Prairie Regional Water Distribution District in Stuttgart. According to Stivers, even they are running low and had to cut off Lonoke to prevent running out themselves.