(KAIR)--The City of Valley Falls has initiated Stage 1 of its Emergency Water Plan.

According to a release from the City of Valley Falls, that follows a unanimous vote of the Valley Falls City Council this week to initiate stage 1, which is now in effect.

The release explains that the move was made due to the water elevation of Perry Lake caused by the drought, with Valley Falls residents and businesses urged to conserve water voluntarily, with outdoor water use to be curtailed whle making efficient use of indoor water.

Stage 1 is triggered by one of three factors:
-The City storage has fallen below 85 percent of capacity.
-The demands for one day is in excess of 275,000 gallons per day.
-The Perry Lake water level falls to an elevation of 890 feet.

According to the release, Perry Lake has fallen 1.71 feet in elevation in 30 days. As of Thursday afternoon, the Perry Lake elevation was at 890.27 feet and continues to drop at an average rate of .069 feet per day.

The City- main source of water comes from the Delaware River. Water is gravity-fed into a pit that is pumped out into a settling pond which then goes to the Water Treatment Plant. The City has added sandbags across the rock weir in the Delaware River to hold water back and prevent the cavitation of the River pumps. Cavitation is when air is being sucked into the pumps. It is damaging to the pumps and lines feeding to the Water System.

The City will continue to monitor water conditions and the Perry Lake Elevation daily. Leaks of the public water system will be repaired within 24 hours of detection. Stage 2 will be triggered when Perry Lake reaches an elevation of 889 feet.

The City will continue to notify the public through local news and media outlets and the city's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cityofvalleyfalls.

A full copy of the Water Emergency Plan can be viewed on the city website at https://www.valleyfalls.org/emergency-management.

For any questions, please contact the City Hall at (785) 945-6612 Option 2. Questions can also be emailed to cityadmin@valleyfalls.org.