Residents in the West Texas city of Alpine are under strict water restrictions after a critical failure in the city’s well system disrupted water supply and distribution across parts of the community.
Officials say one of the city’s wells is no longer working and will likely need to be permanently shut down after years of deterioration. The city plans to drill a replacement well, which could cost the city upwards of $1 million and take four to six weeks to complete.
The city’s water system relies on two main well fields and several smaller wells scattered across the area. About 30% of Alpine’s water comes from the Sunny Glen Well Field, located about 8 miles northwest of the city. This is where the malfunctioning well — Roberts Well No. 3 — is located.
“Our wells are old,” said Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves during a city council meeting on Tuesday. “We have plenty of water, it’s just a matter of getting it out to our facets.”
City officials on Tuesday discussed raising water rates to help pay for the new well, but delayed the decision until a future meeting.
For now, firefighters are hauling water overnight to help keep the system running, but some parts of Alpine, especially the west side, are still running low on water.
Residents are under mandatory restrictions, which include:
- No outdoor watering
- No washing vehicles
- No filling swimming pools or hot tubs
- Repairing water leaks as quickly as possible
- Limiting water use to essential health and safety needs only
City officials warned that some residents could experience low water pressure or temporarily lose access to water while crews work to manage the remaining supply.
This comes as another Texas city, Corpus Christi, faces water problems of its own amid ongoing drought conditions and dwindling reservoir levels. The coastal city has spent more than a year under water restrictions as officials explore long-term solutions, including groundwater projects and desalination efforts.
