JACKSON, Wyo. — During the Town Council meeting on Monday, Aug. 18, Town Manager Tyler Sinclair shared the most recent water usage report, revealing that last week’s irrigation use was back up in spite of the recent restrictions.
In July, an emergency ordinance was put into place to prioritize water availability for domestic/household use and fire suppression. The ordinance is scheduled to end on October 31.
Sinclair told Town Council that people were using more water on Thursday and leading into the weekend.
“Saturday was up and Sunday was back down again,” Sinclair said. “It is not the best report for the past few days. We were not in the acceptable range.”
Sinclair stressed that at peak times between 12 and 4 a.m. — when water use has strained the system — residents need to curb irrigation use. Since the ordinance started, he said that this was the first three days in row where water levels were “back in the red.”
“It is important to suppress fire threats,” Sinclair said.
Currently, Teton County’s fire danger is rated “very high” due to drought conditions and the presence of dry fuels.
Mayor Arne Jorgensen asked Sinclair if there was a specific reason for the increase in water demand. Sinclair responded that the reason is unknown, but people “need to change the behavior.”
During the last two weeks of July, Town reported the public’s willingness to implement water conservation measures, after water usage dropped significantly. Town staff will continue to notify the public with the updated water report every Monday.
