Officials keep eyes on water supply

NORTH ALABAMA - Rogersville residents asked to limit usage

While watching their children play in the fountain at Florence's River Heritage Park on Monday, Carrie and Lonnie Robinson lamented the steamy weather and wondered aloud if this year is shaping up to be a repeat of the searing hot summer of 2007.

"I coach football and I don't want it to be like it was last year," Lonnie Robinson said. "It was brutal last summer."

From July 30 until Sept. 7, 2007, the temperature in the Shoals was 90 degrees or higher every day, including 16 days in August when it reached triple digits.

If long-range weather forecasts are on target, this August will be cooler than 2007.

"It's possible we could be as hot in August as last year, but it's not very likely," said Kris White, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Huntsville.

White said scattered showers around the Tennessee Valley this summer have helped hold temperatures in check.

"The rain has really been a blessing this year," Carrie Robinson said.

Some forecasters predict the scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue in August.

Rain is possible each day this week. After highs in the upper 90s today, slightly cooler weather is expected the remainder of the week with high temperatures forecast at around 90 degrees.

Mike Hipps, manager of Florence's water treatment plants, said while the scattered showers have not erased the drought, the rain has had an impact on water usage.

"We're pumping about a million gallons less water per day than we were at this time last year," Hipps said. "Last year at this time, we were running about as hard as we could every day to meet the demand for water. So far this year, we've only had a couple of days when we've had to run like that."

Hipps said the rain this summer has reduced the amount of water used for irrigating lawns.

Doug Clement, manager of the Russellville Water and Sewer Board, said increased rainfall and reduced demand for water has allowed the city's reservoir to remain near full this summer.

"Lake Elliott has dropped about 8 inches so far this summer. Last year, we were down about 80 inches in late July," Clement said.

The dry conditions in 2007 forced Russellville to pump water into Lake Elliott from Cedar Creek Lake and to ask residents to conserve water.

"We're in good shape this year. We're not asking our customers to conserve water at this time," Clement said.

So far this year, rainfall for the Shoals is 11.10 inches below normal. At this time in 2007, the rainfall deficit was 15.16 inches.

The lack of rain has taken a toll on the Rogersville water system, where residents are being asked to refrain from watering lawns and washing cars.

Shannon Howell, superintendent of Rogersville Water Department, said three years of dry conditions have reduced the flow of the town's wells.

"The water table is so low, our wells are not recovering as fast as they used to," Howell said. "When it rains, it reduces demand, which helps, but it's not replenishing the water table."

White said that rainfall in north Alabama since Jan. 1, 2005, is more than 6 feet below normal.

"We've been getting more rain this summer than last, but we're still in a severe drought," White said.

Tennessee Valley Authority spokesman Gil Francis said the utility continues to conserve water in its reservoirs and operates its hydroelectric power plants sparingly.

In August 2007, as the Tennessee Valley baked in triple digit temperatures and power demands soared to record levels, TVA asked customers to conserve electricity.

So far this year, TVA has had ample electricity to meet the needs of its customers, TVA officials said.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.