The City of Macomb has taken steps to ensure the water continues to flow this summer despite the drought.
Mayor Mike Inman said water from one of the city's deep wells is being pumped into Spring Lake, which is the city's water source.
“The water manager started pumping from one of our deep wells the first week of July,” Inman said.
“We're pumping roughly 800 gallons a minute from that deep well into the lake, trying to maintain the water level there.”
The city has two deep wells. Both are at Spring Lake.
Inman said he has been receiving daily reports this summer on the lake's water level. He said it was ten inches below the spillway level before Saturday's rain storm. Now it is around nine inches below the spillway.
Inman said the city will continue to closely monitor the matter in coming weeks. He pointed out the city's population -- and water usage -- will rise drastically when students arrive for the fall semester at Western Illinois University.
He said the city has an ordinance in place if it needs to implement water conservation measures.
“Voluntary conservation would be our first step. Then there would be a series of mandatory measures that would be put in place should it become necessary down the road.”
