During the March 1 meeting of the Taylor Town Council, they approved a plan that addresses options in the event of a drought or water shortage. The town recently applied for a grant to help with the cost of replacing the water storage tank located in the Rolling Hills area. In that grant process, it was brought to the town’s attention that they did not have a drought plan in place.
State statutes require the town have such a plan to outline procedures for handling a drought or water shortage. “The objective of the plan is to provide ways for the town businesses and residents to aid in water reduction when a water supply deficiency occurs and provides framework for operations of the town water utility during a time of drought or water shortage,” said Taylor Town Manager Gus Lundberg. The plan includes guidelines for possible water rationing as a strategy but also allows flexibility for the town if these conditions do occur.
A related item was the authorization of a Bureau of Reclamation Water Smart application. This was required as part of the same grant process and gives assurance that the town has their portion of the money set aside for the water tank replacement and will keep up their end of the agreement. The grant that has been applied for will cover half of the replacement costs of the tank. The town took out a loan for the estimated total cost of $800,000 for the project.
