The city notified residents late last week that two of the three pumps at the Beeville Water Supply District’s raw water intake structure had failed.
Civil Engineer Jim Urban of Urban Engineering said the remaining pump would not be able to meet the need and that the city would have to depend on water in its storage tanks to provide important water supplies.
Hector Salinas, superintendent at the BWSD’s George P. Morrill, I Water Treatment Plant at Swinney Switch, said Friday evening that a shaft on one of the pumps had sheared. He said repairmen were trying to figure out what had caused the problem.
Both of the failed pumps were less than a year old, Salinas said. He said the investigation into the pump failures would provide the information needed to determine if the pump malfunctions would be covered by the warranties.
Urban had reported that his company had sent for a backup pump that could be installed.
Although the city has been in a drought conservation mode for months, asking water customers to refrain from irrigating yards between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., last week’s emergency forced the city to urge all residents to quit using water outside.
Lawn watering may resume as long as residents continue to refrain from irrigating lawns and gardens between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The City of Corpus Christi has implemented Condition 2 drought restrictions for the first time since the current drought began about two years ago.
Gary Kent is a reporter at the Bee-Picayune and can be reached at 358-2550, ext. 120, or at reporter@mySouTex.com.
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