The Town of Dutton is asking residents to conserve water after two aging water pumps began operating at only half of their normal capacity, prompting temporary outdoor watering restrictions while officials work toward a long-term solution.
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According to Dutton Public Works Director and Town Clerk Jeremiah Kjensmo, the town's two water pumps are each designed to produce 120 gallons of water per minute. HBoth are currently operating at just 60 gallons per minute due to age-related wear.
"They're just getting old and running at diminished capacity at the moment," Kjensmo said.
While the reduced capacity has not affected indoor water use, town officials are asking residents to stop watering lawns, gardens and other outdoor areas until the issue is resolved.
The town is already working with engineers and equipment vendors to replace the failing pumps. Kjensmo said replacement pumps have been located, and crews are working to coordinate installation as quickly as possible. The town has given no firm timeline for when the work will be completed.
"That is the million-dollar question right there," Kjensmo said when asked how long repairs could take.
In addition to replacing the pumps, town officials are also working to determine how the project will be funded. Dutton hopes to incorporate the expense into its ongoing water improvement project, which began in 2024 and included upgrades to the town's wells and water distribution system.
"We will be in contact with the DNRC and the state and everybody," Kjensmo said. "Try to get that, see if we can work this into the water project so that we don't have to take out different loans or anything. We could just add them into our project."
For now, officials say the town has enough water capacity to meet residents' indoor needs, but they are continuing to monitor the pumps closely. If conditions worsen before replacements are installed, Dutton has emergency plans in place to provide water to residents at the fire hall and bring in portable restrooms if necessary.
"I think we'll be all right for inside for right now," Kjensmo said. "But if they get worse or something like that, then we'll provide water for our citizens. They'll just be picking it up at the fire hall and use porta potties. But we're really hoping not to get to that point. We're not there yet."
Despite the challenges, Kjensmo remains optimistic the issue can be resolved once the new pumps are installed.
"It's not a real complicated issue," he said. "It's just the problem needs to be solved."
