CARLSBORG — Voluntary water conservation is being encouraged in three Clallam County Public Utility District water systems in the Port Angeles area.
PUD officials announced Thursday that the Stage 2 water alerts were being declared for the Gales Addition, Mount Angeles and Monroe water systems.
A Stage 2 water shortage means increased voluntary water conservation is encouraged.
The city of Port Angeles declared a Stage 2 water alert Aug. 6.
“These affected PUD water districts rely on purchased water supplied from the city of Port Angeles,” PUD officials said in a Thursday announcement.
“The PUD is coordinating its drought response with the city of Port Angeles, as both utilities rely on the Elwha River as their water source.”
Port Angeles municipal water comes from the Ranney Well, a groundwater collector near the Elwha River.
The city also has a surface water right at the river that provides industrial water and a backup supply of potable water.
The Elwha River was flowing at 355 cubic feet per second Saturday, well below its average of 732 cubic feet per second.
River flows had been under 500 cubic feet per second since Aug. 4, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
Elsewhere, the Clallam County PUD began Stage 2 voluntary water conservation for the Clallam Bay/Sekiu, Upper Fairview and Island View systems May 23.
Those declarations were still in effect.
Gov. Jay Inslee declared a drought emergency for a large swath of the state, including the North Olympic Peninsula, on May 20.
The declaration made state funds available to municipalities to address drought-related hardships and to expedite emergency water right permits, city Public Works and Utilities Director Thomas Hunter has said.
“The objective of the Stage 2 plan is to encourage customers to conserve and prepare for a possible increase in drought response later in the season,” PUD officials said Thursday.
The PUD provided the following tips for water conservation:
• Reduce outdoor water use.
• Fix leaky faucets and toilets.
• Take shorter showers, not baths.
• Install low-flow showerheads and faucets.
• Operate automatic dish and clothes washers only when full.
• Collect and use water that is wasted while waiting for the hot water to reach the faucet for houseplants or outdoor plants.
• Use water-efficient appliances.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
