water shortage

Rawlins continues to face water infrastructure issues. This comes about two years after the city ran out of water.

The City of Rawlins saw record levels of snow this year and residents are wondering whether this will improve their water issues. Officials say it is too soon to know.More than a year ago the City of Rawlins literally ran out of water for several days. This was largely due to some serious infrastructure issues, but also drought.

In the Southwest, tribal health organizations are finding ways to counter the factors – including the lack of access to clean drinking water – that contribute to high rates of childhood obesity in Native communities.

Residents in the City of Rawlins will likely have to pay more for their water in the near future, due to expensive fixes to a water delivery system riddled with issues.

Climate change is causing the American West to experience what’s now being called a megadrought…the worst water shortage in 1,200 years. The Ogallala Aquifer is a huge underground water source supplying eight states where it may seem safely stored away. But as one ranching community in southeast Wyoming is finding out…that water is disappearing. Part of the problem is that water law hasn’t kept up with emerging science.

Progress is being made on the Rawlins and Sinclair water infrastructure after parts of the towns went without water for seven days in March.Poorly maintained and aging infrastructure that supplies Rawlins and Sinclair residents with drinking water led to water shortages, and a sustained drought did not help the issue.

On March 3, many Rawlins and Sinclair residents turned on their faucets only to find no water. School was canceled. Water use at the hospital was limited - workers had to haul buckets of water up several flights to flush toilets for patients. People did not know where to get drinking water. The water shortage lasted for seven days.

The City of Rawlins is enforcing water restrictions as of last week, due to major water shortages. According to the city, only 25 percent of water from typical summer use is coming into the treatment plant daily.

Water supplies are so tight in the West that most states keep close watch over every creek, river, ditch and reservoir. A complex web of laws and rules is meant to ensure that all the water that falls within a state’s boundaries is put to use or sent downstream to meet the needs of others.