TUD Annual Ditch Outage To Begin Sunday

TUD photo

Sonora, CA – Tuolumne Utilities District (TUD) will hold its ditch outage next week, and customers are asked to conserve water not only during it but the week after.

The annual event to allow for maintenance on the PG&E Tuolumne Main Canal will commence on Sunday, October 15th. It conveys 95 percent of the drinking water to customers. That supply will be shut down through Sunday, October 22nd. In turn, TUD is asking customers to limit their water use while PG&E crews make repairs and improvements.

With no water flowing through the ditches, the only water available is what remains in storage tanks and from limited-capacity groundwater wells,” shared TUD officials. “Conservation during this period is necessary to ensure adequate water supply for drinking, sanitary usage, and fire protection.”

Customers can help conserve water by following these tips:

• Limit outside watering.
• Do not wash vehicles.
• Turn off automatic lawn and drip sprinkler timers.
• Repair water leaks.

There are several areas that are at risk of running out of water if conservation steps are not taken. They include Phoenix Lake, Sonora, Jamestown, and Twain Harte. The district asks customers to continue to limit water use for one week after the outage to allow for the water storage supply to recover. Additionally, periodic maintenance outages will continue through December for irrigation and agricultural ditch customers. For the complete list of communities and ditch outage schedules, click here.