MOON XTRA #12

For Immediate Release:
June 27, 2017
8:00 am
Contact: Rob Dean, 432-371-2737
rgvranger@yahoo.com
Study Butte Residents Continue to Struggle Without Water
Water hauling efforts will continue today to provide Study Butte residents who have been without water for 10 days. Lajitas Resorts is providing water to SBWSC residents who have been affected by the outage. The SBWSC system customers include all of Terlingua Ghostown and Study Butte. Water to the Terlingua side of the system was restored June 23 while supply to Study Butte has been restricted due to insufficient water production. TX Forest Service trucks are expected to arrive today to help transport water joining transport trucks from Pecos County, Big Bend National Park, and Terlingua Fire and EMS. Efforts yesterday continued to move water from Lajitas Resort to fill the Bee Mtn. storage tank.
A lightening strike 10 days ago damaged the pump motor to the main water producing well which was capable of producing up to 150 gallons per minute. The SBWSC is currently producing less than 50 gpm which is insufficient to provide the system pressure and volume needed for the community. Approximately half of SBWSC customers remain without water today. The specialized replacement motor is being built by Franklin Electric in Oklahoma City and is expected to arrive this week from Oklahoma.
Transporting water will continue throughout until the system can be restored to normal operations. SBWSC hopes to be able to begin pressurizing the system when sufficient water has been transported.
All residents are advised to continue water conservation while the system is being repaired. Level 4 Water Conservation Emergency measures remains in effect and the Boil Water notice is still in effect. This means water may be used for normal household use while watering lawns, gardens, washing vehicles is prohibited. Any water used for consumption should be boiled prior to use (see www.studybuttewater.com for details).
Bottled drinking water has been donated by numerous organizations and is available to those in need at the Brewster County Emergency Services Center in Terlingua. Drinking water remains available to those in need at the Terlingua EMS building from daily 10am to 2pm.

Photo by Sara Allen Colando