LULA, Ga. — Residents in the North Georgia town of Lula have been unable to drink their tap water for nearly a week as city leaders work to address low water pressure and a boil water advisory.
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City officials say a combination of oppressive heat, drought conditions and increased water usage strained the town’s water system.
“The city has had tremendous water demand,” Interim City Manager Jerry Neace said.
Neace planned to address the issue during a town hall meeting Tuesday evening, where he was expected to discuss drought conditions, low water tables and how Lula plans to avoid similar problems in the future.
For residents like Carol Sargent, the boil water advisory has been a challenge.
The kitchen faucet still flows, but not with the pressure she is used to. She has been boiling water for several days, following the city’s recommendation.
“It’s hard for me because I have problems picking up that big ol’ pot that I have,” Sargent said.
She has also been buying bottled water.
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Sargent said she first noticed water pressure dropping over the Fourth of July weekend as a heat wave settled over the region.
“We’ve had quite a bit of usage for the month of June,” Neace said.
Lula, which has a population of about 3,000 people, relies on well water stored in two tanks. Neace said one of those tanks went completely dry Sunday.
According to Neace, water demand in June increased by more than one million gallons.
“A lot of people have been watering outside because we’ve not had a lot of rain, so they’re watering their lawns, watering their gardens, keeping their pools filled,” he said.
Lula can tap into the Gainesville water system, but Neace said the interconnection is too small to fully meet the town’s needs during situations like this.
“We’re working with the City of Gainesville to upsize that and remedy that issue should we have this situation again,” Neace said.
Even with the low water levels, Neace said there has been no sign of contamination.
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Still, the situation has been a nuisance for residents.
“You have to get the water you can up to boil it, to wash your clothes, take your showers,” Sargent said.
Neace said the city plans to install two new wells within the next year and build another elevated water tank within the next three to five years.
He said the tanks are filling back up with assistance from Gainesville and expects water pressure to return to normal by next week.