Some residents may experience decrease in water pressure as water towers run low

By Garrett Ammesmaki,

Editor

The Tea City Council ended their July 18 meeting with a discussion on increased water restrictions in the near future.

“We’re at a critical state right now,” City Administrator Dan Zulkosky said after the meeting. “We’re going through way too much water.”

The city has consistently passed by 1 million gallons per day usage over the week, with a major factor being the hot weather, he said. The City of Tea is currently guaranteed roughly 1.1 million gallons per day from Lewis and Clark.

A stricter limit on water usage would mean residents only being allowed to water their lawns once a day on an odd-even schedule. That means odd-numbered houses could only water on odd-numbered days, and even-numbered houses would water on even-numbered days.

If we get to certain levels, there may be no watering allowed at all, Zulkosky said. Currently, any excess watering results in a $150 fine.

He is in contact with various other members of Lewis and Clark in attempts to purchase their excess water capacity, but no one has agreed to sell. Though, some places have yet to respond.

Zulkosky believes Lincoln County will be addressing his request at their next commission meeting.

Some residents may also experience a decrease in water pressure due to the city water towers running low, he said.

City Council members said they would discuss an increase of restrictions over the week and make a decision soon.

The current partial restriction limits residents to only watering their lawns during the evening between 6 pm and 10 am.

The rest of the meeting was spent on requests from the public, action on building permits, and hearing updates on various construction projects across the city.

They spent quite some time hearing details on, and ultimately approved, the scope and fee contract of future construction on a 1.5 mile stretch of 85th Street from I-29 to Tea Ellis Road.

This will be a cost-share project with the City of Sioux Falls, with Tea being responsible for $72,820 of planning and preliminary design of the project, with Sioux Falls taking care of the other half.

The construction is in preparation for an interchange that will connect 85th Street to I-29. Construction should be completed around 2025.

Residents may have noticed that construction on Gateway Avenue is pretty much done. Only some touch-ups and landscaping work remain. The final construction will be delayed until Fall due to the current water restrictions.

Jason Bennett of the Militiamen veteran motorcycle club requested that the council restrict parking around the Tea Legion Hall for a poker run at the end of the month.

Somewhere between 100 to 150 motorcycles and a currently unknown number of cars will pass through town to meet up at the Legion Hall on July 30.

The council said they will get signage to restrict parking for the event within the coming weeks.

A transfer of beverage licenses from Valkyrie & the Beast LLC to the Big Dill, LLC was approved.

Zoning actions included approval of two building permits for Nielson Construction Contractor shop, a foundation permit for Ruff Land Kennels, and a foundation permit for an addition to Ultimate Property Solutions.

The City Council also approved a payment of $1,647,699.36 for work on the regionalization wastewater pump station and force main project.