Introduction
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Kearny imposed the strictest water restrictions and warned the town of 2,000 people could officially run out of water by July.
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Before the crisis, the town’s Gila River water supply had been cut by 80 percent; the town normally had 600 acre-feet of land, but now only 60 acre-feet remained.
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Enforced restrictions now prohibit car washing, lawn watering and pool filling.
Kearny, Arizona. – The mayor of Carney, Arizona, said the city’s water supply quota may be exhausted sometime this summer and the city has implemented strict water restrictions.
timeline
An emergency water order was enacted in January asking people to reduce water use, but water use has increased. Now that strict restrictions are in place, residents are starting to cut back on their spending.
But even so, Carney may run out of its water allotment by July 15.
what we know
Kearny has a population of approximately 2,000 people. But this town has a big problem.
“The reality is scary,” said resident Cheyenne Gilliam. “We try to save water by taking shorter showers at home, but it’s difficult because our kids love long showers.”
From a numerical perspective
Kani’s water comes from the nearby Gila River. Its usual allotment is 600 acre-feet. But this year, the quota has been reduced by more than 80%, based on lake levels. The town’s land size has been reduced to 60 acre-feet, according to Town Manager and longtime resident Curtis Stacy.
“It’s going to be the middle of summer. A lot of people here are older and they still use running coolers to cool your house. Temperatures of 115 to 120° are not habitable,” Mayor Stacey said.
The city is asking residents to save 30%, which means not washing your car, watering your lawn or filling your swimming pool. If possible, take shorter showers and reduce laundry time.
local perspective
Businesses are trying to save and are already seeing cuts.
Local businessman Kelly Gilliam said: “I know it’s slowing down what we can do in a way because people are afraid to invest in their own properties because they’re not sure what’s going to happen over a long period of time.”
“Out of respect for the town, we’re going to have to close the car wash to conserve water,” said Robert Rice, another local businessman. “We’ve invested over $100,000 in landscaping on Main Street, but that’s going to have some impact.”
Dig deeper
But at this rate, the mayor expects Carney to use up his allotted water supply in just three months, and he’s concerned about what that might mean.
“I’m not going to kill anybody,” Mayor Stacey said. ‘I don’t know what else to say. This is a matter of life and death. “
what’s next
The mayor said there may be flow in the Gila River on the edge of town when the town’s quota is exhausted, but technically they won’t be allowed to use it. After that, he said, we entered uncharted territory.
source
The information was gathered from Mayor Carney as well as local residents and merchants.
