Far West to switch to well water for 10 days

Customers who get their water from the Far West Water and Sewer Inc. in the Foothills will be switched over to well water Friday for a period of about 10 days, as the Yuma Mesa Irrigation District shuts off its Colorado River source for annual maintenance.

The system serves about 13,000 to 16,000 water customers per month, according to the most recent annual report available online from the Arizona Corporation Commission. They span the Foothills area from Avenue 10E on the west out to the mountains which give the area its name.

Far West sent a notice to customers informing them of the switch to well water, which is expected to last through Dec. 4: “We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time where certain areas might experience lowered pressure to help maintain continuous water supply to all customers served. We also ask for your cooperation to help conserve consumption where possible to avoid further limitations during this required maintenance.”

The canal is drained during the maintenance period so workers can clean out debris and trash that’s accumulated over the past year, clogging it up.

General Manager Andy Capestro said the maintenance has historically started the day after Thanksgiving, which isn’t the greatest timing for his purposes.

“Yuma Mesa is there mostly for the farmers, and they don’t need as much water this time of year,” as opposed to the mostly residential Foothills, which is reaching its peak of users during the winter visitor season.

Even with advance notice, some people are taken by surprise.

“We do notify them of it, but they can forget, or they’re new to the area. They realize water might taste a little different because it goes through a different process. Actually it’s not processed at all, it’s from well water. It’s the water from the canal that’s processed.”

Sometimes it tastes different when you add chlorine, or there’s a little bit of cloudiness that they get upset about. It doesn’t hurt you. It’s iron or magnesium that’s in the water naturally,” he said. And he hears from some people who say they prefer the well water.

Most complaints that do come in during this time are related to water pressure.

“We do have adequate water to handle everybody, but some people at the very edges of the thing, they said their showers aren’t as strong as before or they don’t flush as fast as before. We don’t run out of water, but the pressure is usually the complaint.

Anyone with questions about the maintenance period can call Far West at (928) 342-1238.

Juan Ramirez, water master for the Yuma Mesa Irrigation District, said most of the work being done this weekend and into next week will be to maintain equipment along the canal, including gates, pipes and other items which are crucial to directing flows into the right direction. Cleanup efforts are ongoing throughout the year.

“It’s cooler, so the alfalfa and the citrus don’t need as much water, this time of the year, so this is the perfect time to do all our maintenance work,” he said. “And we have it at the same time every year, for countless years that I recall.”