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Minot water conservation order cuts water usage in half

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jessica McConnell
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Leadership at Air Force Global Strike Command's Minot Air Force Base mandated a water conservation order June 27, effective for all base personnel and businesses, in response to several breaks in Minot's main water line.

Base leadership immediately responded to the main water breaks by mandating a water conservation directive. That response has yielded a decrease in the base's water consumption by half--from 400,000 gallons a day to 200,000 gallons a day.

"There is no reason anyone should be without bottled water," said Col. Michael Dilda, 5th Mission Support Group commander. "For military personnel in dorms and at their workstations, we have been purchasing bottled water for their consumption. There is a pick-up location at building 505. There is no rationing of that water."

"The base is also working on establishing alternate water sources," Colonel Dilda said. "We have water purification systems on the way that will be installed and used to produce potable water to the base. As those systems are functioning correctly and providing full potable water, there will be more water available to the base."

Once installed, the base community will be updated on whether the boil water order has been lifted. This will only be accomplished once officials from the State Health Department have evaluated the base's water system and deem it safe for consumption.

Minot Public Works director Alan Walter said his crew continues to look for the breaks, but they are difficult to find because they are located under 10 feet of water. He said the city also found a line that collapsed in the sanitary sewer system, which they are now pumping out over the levees.

"We're well beyond a crisis," Mr. Walter said. "We're in very deep. We have a long grind ahead of us."