Brooke hauling water to Mesa del Caballo

By Jim Keyworth
Gazette Blog Editor

Perhaps for the first time ever, Brooke Utilities/Payson Water Company is hauling water to Mesa del Caballo during the winter. A not uncommon occurrence in the summer, hauling water in the winter is unheard of.

According to a spokesperson for the Mesa del Caballo Water Committee, a group of residents appointed to work with Brooke Utilities on a solution to the longstanding water woes that have plagued the community, the need to haul was caused by broken pipes due to the cold weather, many in the unoccupied homes of seasonal residents or residents who were out of town for the holidays. Water pressure all day Monday was extremely low or non-existent.

The hauling, which apparently took place Monday evening, was confirmed by a Mesa del resident who lives next to the storage tank where the water was deposited. She said she saw four tanker trucks being unloaded.

Presumably the water was purchased from the Town of Payson and pumped into the tankers from a hydrant at The Home Depot. Payson has agreed to sell water to Mesa del Caballo at the same rate Payson residents pay pending the arrival of water from Blue Ridge (aka C.C. Cragin) Reservoir.

Water pressure was still low this morning (Tuesday), but appears as of this posting (2:15 p.m.) to be near normal.