"In this together": Apple Valley asks residents to cut back on water usage by 50%
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. – Despite a brief respite of rain, a Twin Cities suburb is feeling the brunt of the state's ongoing drought.
The city of Apple Valley has been elevated to the "Drought Restrictive Response Phase," as the Mississippi watershed continues to diminish.
The move, spurred from a call from the DNR and the Minnesota Statewide Drought Plan, means the city will need to reduce its water usage from 8 million gallons a day to 5 million gallons a day.
"Being able to pump and provide that water is very important," said Apple Valley Public Works Director Matt Saam. "So, when there's a drought, rain isn't coming to replenish the groundwater – that does affect us."
Saam says the city is making cuts to how much it waters public land – but is also asking its 50,000 residents to be part of the change.
The city is asking residents to cut "non-essential" water use by 50%, suggesting cutting out lawn watering for the winter, winterizing irrigation systems, and monitoring water use inside the house.
"I haven't seen this type of drought length in my career, which is almost 25 years now," Saam said. "We're all in this together, it's beneficial for us all to try and conserve water and do the right thing."
Saam says early reports show the city has dropped water usage to roughly 5.5 million gallons a day. The drought response, which is monitored weekly, could change over time if conditions improve.
