Save your water, urges city

Cordova residents are encouraged to conserve water. Dry, sunny weather combined with the water demands of fish processing have produced a water shortage.

Cordovans should think twice about washing their cars, says Samantha Greenwood, director of public works for the City of Cordova.

Dry, sunny weather combined with the water demands of fish processing have produced a water shortage. As canneries begin processing pink salmon, water demands may reach up to 3.5 million gallons per day, according to a city notice.

“It could rain two inches tomorrow, and the issue’s solved, but it might not,” Greenwood said. “At some point, if everyone uses as much water as they want and the canneries are processing millions of salmon per day, we just can’t keep up.”

To make up for shortfalls, the city processed six million gallons of water from Eyak Lake over the June 6-7 weekend.

“Don’t water your lawn,” she said. “That doesn’t happen very often, but I have seen it! Don’t water the street because it’s dusty. Just hold off until it rains.”

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