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UPDATE: Mayor Jerry Lacy notified The Ledger today that the pump has been fixed and residents and businesses can resume normal water usage. The city had asked residents to cut back on usage while the pump was being fixed.

The City of Thompson Falls is asking residents and businesses to cut back on water usage after a pump in one of the city’s wells failed.

Mayor Jerry Lacy said that he discovered the issue late Monday when he noticed decreased water pressure at his home. City staff investigated and found that a submersible pump for one of the city’s two wells had failed. “That well supplies about 50 percent of the normal usage for the city in the summer,” Lacy said. He noted that because of its size, the pump is a specialty item that has to be ordered in and he’s unsure of how long it will take to repair the pump.

Lacy asked that people discontinue irrigation and car washing until the pump is fixed. “We have limited capacity and we want to make sure we have water sufficient for domestic uses and firefighting,” Lacy said. “Those are our top priorities.” He noted that the city irrigation uses a lot of water. That was turned off immediately and will help conserve water, “but we need everyone’s help to make sure we have enough water. If we are not able to keep everyone in water the cooperative way, we will start enforcing restrictions. We are asking people to do the best they can.”

Residents and businesses may notice a reduction in water pressure with the capacity being about half of normal. The city will be continuously monitoring the tank levels, Lacy said.

For more information, contact City Hall at 827-3557.