A repair at the Water Treatment Plant today will slow down the amount of water being pumped to Columbia today. Customers are being urged to voluntarily delay irrigation and other unnecessary water use until 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 7.

Equipment in one of the water softening basins at the Water Treatment Plant malfunctioned on Friday. While the repair is being made and the basin is being refilled, the amount of water being processed at the plant will be less than normal. With the three remaining softening basins, the plant can pump almost 24 million gallons a day. Water consumption this week has ranged from 20 to 23 million gallons. Although Columbia Water & Light is expecting to keep up with the city's water consumption today, the ability to fill storage facilities will be hampered. Adequate water in the towers and reservoirs is necessary in case it is needed for fire fighting purposes.