La Grange Water Usage Heading for All-Time Low

Record rainfall this year has many residents struggling to keep their grass mowed. On the other hand, no one needs to water their lawns.

Water usage by City of La Grange residents fell by more than 28 percent in June compared to last year. At a City Council meeting on July 12, La Grange City Manager Shawn Raborn said the month of July was on track for a similar drop in water usage. He attributed that trend to all the rain.

“Projecting out through the end of the year, it looks like we’ll be down six or seven percent compared to last year,” Raborn said. “We may have an all-time low for July.”

That projected drop includes a month of record usage in February due to broken pipes and running water associated with the historic freeze. The City pumped almost 19 million gallons that month – nearly 60 percent more than normal for that time of year.

The City receives a share of its revenue from water sales to customers. Raborn said the decrease in water usage should not seriously affect the City’s bottom line. If the trend gets worse, Raborn said the City could adjust financially by cutting some capital expenses.

“When you talk about developing water systems, you build for the peak, budget for the middle and sometimes you end up well below,” he said.