Temporary Fix Found For Parched Pawnee County Water District

PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) -- A water association will use two submersible pumps to avoid service interruptions to 16,000 customers in north-central Oklahoma.<br/><br/>But Darrel Clark, chairman of the Lone Chimney

Saturday, January 13th 2007, 6:38 am

By: News On 6

PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) -- A water association will use two submersible pumps to avoid service interruptions to 16,000 customers in north-central Oklahoma.

But Darrel Clark, chairman of the Lone Chimney Water Association's board, says the pumps are only a stopgap measure and that the real need is another source of water.

The pumps will give the association's members access to a water depth of about 17 feet left in Lone Chimney Lake. The lake is about 10 feet below normal, and officials fear that a continued drought will lower the level below the intake supply lines.

Clark says the pumps will work around the problem and should give customers uninterrupted service for about six months, even without any rain.

The pumps cost about $200,000 and are being funded by a pair of grants.