Kudos to Cottonwood water users
How did you save water this summer? Due to discovered problems with their Well #2, the City of Cottonwood issued a Voluntary Water Restriction in early August, asking all city water users to limit any excessive usage.
The city has 476 water connections and 472 sewer connections. Responsible residents stepped up in many ways: they stopped watering lawns; they stopped washing cars (or washed them elsewhere); they stopped filling kiddie pools and playing in sprinklers; they filled buckets instead of letting the garden hose run; they brushed teeth without the water running; they skipped toilet flushing periodically; and they washed their dishes in a small basin instead of filling the whole sink (and emptied that basin water on thirsty plants). The mid-August Idaho County Fair held in Cottonwood asked campers to “come in full” by filling their RV water tanks elsewhere and they posted signs at many fairgrounds water sources asking for water-saving measures. The results of our efforts? Outstanding! According to Lynn Thompson, Cottonwood City Clerk, the 18-year August average of gallons of water pumped from 2006-2023 is 7,761,633.778. The highest August volume ever pumped in any of these years was 8,848,300 gallons in 2021 and the lowest was (you guessed it!) 4,689,308 gallons in 2023. Last year the Idaho County Fair used 82,000 gallons of water (before, during, and after the fair). This year they used 61,500 gallons. This number is even more impressive when you consider that the bathrooms in the Cottonwood City Park were removed due to park remodeling so the only bathrooms available this year were at the fairgrounds. The city maintenance crew decreased water used on the streets and for dust abatement. They also set up a tanker at Well #3 for the fire department to use as much as possible.
The City of Cottonwood has five wells in total. Well #1 is offline and has not been used in a long time, according to Thompson. Well #2, which produces 450 gallons per minute, is the one that needs fixing. Well #3 is normally only used for irrigation of Wimer Field. Wells #1, 2, and 3 are located in the Wimer Field area. Well #4 pumps 240 gal/min and is located at the city park. Its pumphouse recently had a chain link fence installed around it which was paid for by a DEQ sourcewater protection grant for which the city applied. Well #5 is our best well, producing 575 gal/min. This well is located across Highway 95 near the airport and draws from a different aquifer than the other four wells. It went online in 2003 and ended a period of more severe water restrictions and many attempts to figure out a good solution to long-standing water issues.
Thompson explained that there are two water storage tanks located off Madison Avenue (above the city behind the grain elevators). Each of these holds 500,000 gallons for a total of 1,000,000 gallons. As water is used in town, these tanks empty and the pumps/wells refill them. In order to spread the workload amongst the pumps/wells, Well #5 pumps to fill the storage tanks twice and then Wells #2 (now currently down) and 4 pump once. Then the cycle starts again, as needed. Depending on the time of year and water usage, this sequence can occur every day or as little as once every 4-5 days.
As to the status of Well #2 and its repair, Thompson said that the video camera inspection showed that the well is viable, intact, and has not collapsed. Currently quotes are being gathered for a new pump, motor, and shaft. If the cost reaches a certain level, then there must be a call for bids. On some of the quotes gathered, delivery would be 20 weeks out due to continuing supply chain issues.
So keep up the good work on water conservation as we are not through this yet. The mayor and city council give “huge kudos to everyone for saving water.”
Editor’s note: Kristin Frish has had city water concerns and noted in the last Cottonwood City Council article the kudos to Cottonwood citizens for cutting their water use. She wanted to research the issue and get a better understanding. After city clerk Lynn Thompson shared a lot of information with her she thought she would share with our readers what she learned.