Menomonie City Council Extends Lawn Irrigation Ban

The Menomonie City Council voted to extend its full lawn irrigation ban until August 18th at its meeting on Tuesday.

The City implemented the irrigation ban after extreme heat and dry weather over recent weeks contributed to higher water demand and a depleted supply, resulting in low water pressure in some neighborhoods. Those low water pressure issues temporarily left a number of residents without water at all last week.

The City also issued a boil water and bottled water advisory in the Grand View Heights Court and Meadow Hill Drive area as a result of bacteria testing last week. They lifted that advisory earlier this week after two more rounds of bacteria testing showed no further issues. City officials say the levels in their three water towers returned to about 80 percent full over the weekend, and normal water pressure has largely been restored throughout the area.

The irrigation ban was originally scheduled to be in place until August 1st. The Menomonie City Council determined the extension is necessary to allow rest time for well equipment and for Public Works crews to locate any potential leaks.

City officials are asking residents to keep an eye out for flowing water in unusual locations over the next few days and to report those issues as soon as possible. They also say the ban applies to automatic sprinklers and other law irrigation systems specifically, so residents can still water their lawns with a handheld sprayer or watering can. Local sports fields, like at the University of Wisconsin Stout Polytechnic, are exempt from the ban in the interest of player safety.