Cloquet sets drought rules

With 78 percent of the state experiencing severe drought and some experiencing extreme or exceptional drought, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is requiring water suppliers to implement water-use restrictions as that state enters the warning phase of a statewide drought plan.

The Cloquet City Council approved a number of water restriction measures Tuesday in reaction to the ongoing drought. As part of those measures, residents are asked to either stop watering their lawns or restrict watering to odd or even dates. Odd numbered addresses may water on odd dates while even numbers can water on even dates.

“Please do the right thing and water less or let your lawn go dormant. It will come back next year,” city administrator Tim Peterson said.

Public Works director Caleb Peterson said Cloquet has been pumping more water from its wells than a typical year, but with cooler weather and more rain, demand is decreasing some. The city has also taken measures to decrease water usage, including not flushing hydrants until Oct. 1, and working with the largest customers regarding conservation measures.