BEEVILLE — The City of Beeville is asking all residents to stop watering their yards with city water for the next seven days.

City Manager Deborah Ballí was in her office Thursday morning with civil engineer Jim Urban and Water Superintendent Cesario Vela discussing the replacement of two pumps at the city’s raw water intake structure.

Urban said two of the new pumps at the intake structure at the Nueces River had failed and the remaining pump would not be able to keep up with demand.

“Due to an unforeseen malfunction at the water treatment plant, effective immediately and for the next seven days, all outside use of water is restricted,” Ballí said in a special Blackboard Connect message.

The request is being automatically sent to all residents in the form of a recorded phone message.

“Beeville city staff and engineers, long with the Beeville Water Supply District, are working diligently to correct the malfunction and minimize the inconvenience to residents and commercial businesses,” the message said. “As a result of the process involved in correcting the malfunction, a reduction in the water pressure may be experienced. The city will advise immediately when the restriction is lifted.”

Urban said his company was expected to bring in a temporary pump and to have the two faulty pumps repaired as quickly as possible. He said the two pumps were both new equipment and, as yet, no one knows why they failed.

The engineer said the city has water in reserve in storage tanks at the BWSD’s George P. Morrill, I Water Treatment Plant at Swinney Switch and in the city.

Urban said water pressure was going to be intentionally reduced to allow businesses and residences to continue using it without running the storage tanks dry.

Vela said his pipeline repair crew would be stopping the last three major leaks in the 18-mile line between the treatment plant and city.

However, the crew would still have some smaller leaks to repair. Each time a major leak in the line is sealed up, smaller leaks appear because of the increased pressure in the line.

Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at reporter@mySouTex.com.