Governor Mike Parson committed more then $77,000 in state funding to assist the drought-stricken City of Cameron and Caldwell County Public Water Supply Number 2.
As of this past Monday, the Cameron reservoirs were 38.4 percent full and only 167 days of water supply remained. The city serves a population of 9,933 and also sells water to Clinton County Public Water Supply District No. 3, which serves a population of 3,410.
The Department of Natural Resources will be awarding emergency drought assistance grants for $50,000 to the City of Cameron and $27,380 to Caldwell County Public Water Supply District Number 2. The emergency funding will assist the community and the water district in their efforts to maintain adequate drinking water for local citizens.
Cameron will use the funding to help pay the nearly half million dollar project to run a bout three miles of temporary, above-ground emergency piping to pump water from Pony Express Lake with special permission from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The temporary pumping will provide more than 1 million gallons of water per day, which will be pumped to Grindstone Reservoir, the city’s largest drinking water source. The pipeline should be operational by September 1st.
Caldwell County Public Water Supply District Number 2 will construct a temporary emergency connection with Daviess Public Water Supply District Number 2. This temporary connection is anticipated to provide more than 30,000 gallons per day until a permanent connection can be constructed. This temporary connection will ease the demand experienced by the City of Hamilton city reservoir, which is currently the only water provider to Caldwell Public Water Supply District Number 2.
