Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Phippsburg residents are being asked to conserve water as a result of a water shortage discovered late Tuesday afternoon.

The Phippsburg Water District discovered that the well that supplies water to the town has slipped to about half full.

"There are crews out there right now investigating why the well is so low," said Chuck Vale, Routt County's director of emergency management. "As soon as they figure it out, we can decide what to do about it."

Until then, residents are asked to conserve water by avoiding car washes, filling pools, watering yards and anything else that requires using large amounts of water. The water is safe to drink and is not contaminated, according to a release from the Routt County Office of Emergency Management.

Vale was not sure how long it will take to figure out a solution and get it taken care of. He said there is not a risk of running out of water in the immediate future, but he was unsure of how long the supply would last.

"The goal is to slow consumption so we can buy more time to fix it," Vale said.

The Routt County Office of Emergency Management sent out a warning message via telephone at approximately 4 p.m. Tuesday to notify town residents of the shortage and Vale said a second message will be sent out as soon as a solution is determined. There are about 120 homes affected in town.

Vale said the Routt County Environmental Health manages the water system and is working with engineers to find a solution.

Residents with questions should contact Routt County Environmental Health at (970) 879-0185.