Mesa del Caballo first in Rim Country to Stage 4

The Mesa del Caballo water system was placed on Stage 4 water conservation level Sunday, the first community in the Rim Country to reach this level.

Water hauling by truck from the Payson hydrant at The Home Depot has commenced.

Brooke Utilities issued the following statement:

"We managed the water storage supplies as effectively as possible during the weekend and could not further avoid Stage 4 conditions which also include water hauling.... As water conservation levels rise due to water hauling, please remember – these higher levels are artificial in nature and are caused by expensive supplemental water hauled to the system. Without the continued conservation efforts of residents these water levels will likely be quickly reduced back to levels where additional water hauling, and expense, will be required."

Under Stage 4 restrictions, all outdoor water use is prohibited and residents are expected to reduce indoor water use significantly. In fact, all Rim Country residents should be especially careful and conserve water during the summer months. Despite what the Roundup likes to imagine, the prolonged drought the area has experienced for the last decade is not over.