During one of hottest stretches of the year, when people need it most, the people of Darrington are being asked to cut way back on water.
The town has two municipal water pumps. Both are old - one is not strong enough to fill the storage tanks, the other, the main pump, is malfunctioning.
Mayor Dan Rankin is worried if the main pump fails completely, the weaker pump will not be able to keep up or also fail from the added pressure. If that happens, he says the town will be quickly out of water.
The town must keep enough water in the tanks for fire protection, but may not have enough for a big fire and any fire would leave the town's taps dry. A new pump is on the way but won't arrive any earlier than Tuesday.
So, residents are being asked to give up outdoor watering and conserve as much as they can. It would a problem any time of year, but it's so much worse in the middle of a heat wave.
