MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) – The City of Midland is experiencing low water pressure and is asking residents to temporarily shut off irrigation this weekend to help conserve water.
City officials have already taken action, with Midland’s three largest water users—the City of Midland, Midland College, and Midland ISD—turning off their irrigation systems. Since irrigation accounts for 55% of total water use, officials say this step is critical in alleviating the issue.
“What the City of Midland really needs is for our citizens to not irrigate this weekend,” said Utilities Director Carl Craigo. “That’ll help out your neighbors, help out the city, make sure there is fire flow, and ensure that there is water for people to use for cooking and drinking.”
What Caused the Issue?
The city’s water plant is currently undergoing routine winter maintenance, which has reduced its output to one-third of the usual supply. The remaining two-thirds of Midland’s water typically comes from the T-Bar groundwater source.
However, two nights ago, a mechanical failure on a large valve from the groundwater source cut off the flow of about 10 million gallons. Since the city normally uses 16–18 million gallons per day, this created a major shortfall.
“We had a deficit of about 8 million gallons a day for those two days,” Craigo explained. “We got that fixed and were catching back up, then last night another valve failed inside the city, which was on the actual same line—only about half of the flow, but still on the same line.”
Both valves have since been repaired, but the city is still working to refill its storage tanks, and residents’ cooperation is needed.
The Path to Recovery
“During the day, more people are using water. So, right now, we’re sending into the city pretty much what people are using,” Craigo said. “We’re right at that minimum level of keeping water pressure for fire flow and basic needs, but it’s still the pressure we need for the system. This evening, as water usage goes down, we’ll start refilling the water tanks. Not in one day—you can’t do it in one evening—but it’ll be much better for the weekend.”
Looking ahead, city officials do not anticipate further issues. All valves on the affected line were checked, and no additional problems were found.
Midland expects water levels to stabilize by Sunday, but residents are asked to continue conserving water until Monday.
While the restrictions may be inconvenient, the city stresses that they are temporary and essential for resolving the issue. Officials appreciate the community’s cooperation as they work to restore normal water pressure.
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