Mineral Wells Water Supply Still In Jeopardy Despite Recent Rains
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Mineral Wells (CBSDFW.COM) -- People in and around Mineral Wells cherish every drop of rain. They fear the lake that supplies their drinking water may dry up by this fall. But even the recent rains only extended their water supply for around 30 days.
You didn't just here the usual chit chat among a group of ladies who decided to bring their church luncheon outside into a park Friday. They were sharing water woes. "I believe last Fall is the first time they started telling us that -- come next April or next October -- we're going to be out of water," said Lisa Harris. "And that kind of puts the fear into you."
They can't water lawns. They've changed the way they bathe. "Army showers," Melissa Gage said. "You get wet, turn it off, soap down and then rinse."
What water they do use they're paying a lot more for than they used to. "It has almost doubled," Harris said.
Lake Palo Pinto is almost 19 feet below normal. Its just over 10% full.
Mineral Wells is racing to build a water plant in the Brazos River before lake water runs out this fall. But until there's a solution people here live in fear of having no water at all.
"We started buying bottled water and keeping it, you know, cases of it at in the house just in case something happens with the water supply," Harris said. "You know, it puts you in a whole new mindset. You know we are in the land of plenty and then all of a sudden we're not in the land of plenty."
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