Councilman Joe Vigliotti asked at the city’s November 4 workshop if circumstances were such that mandatory water-use restrictions might be imposed.

"I noticed in Kevin’s (Kevin Smeak, director) report for the Department of Public Works … He’s talking about considering elevating the current restrictions on water consumption to mandatory-verses-voluntary," Vigliotti said, adding, "I was just wondering if that was something we were going to do, and when we would do that."

Mayor Bradley Wantz responded, "We’ve (town staff) been discussing it. I personally don’t have any sense of urgency on it at this moment, (but) looking at some of the wells, we have asked the county to look into one of the wells to particularly see why there’s been such a drastic drop in its pumping level."

Wantz stated it was his understanding, "from people smarter that I," that the county actually has an observation-well nearby to that (problematic well), so they are "somewhat familiar" with the area that the well in - "but we’re giving them some information to look into and then they’re going to report back."

Regarding the pumping-levels of the wells, he said, "Things have not improved with the pumping depths. They have not particularly gotten a whole-lot-worse … but they are not improving."

Wantz noted that the area did get some rain the previous week, but that it was "probably not sufficient enough to put a dent in this, but it is being looked at, and staff has mentioned that we may need to go into mandatory."

City Manager James Wieprecht stated that the wells’ depths are checked daily, and that the mayor will be kept appraised … should the status worsen that mayor could consider implementation of mandated water-use restrictions, in lieu of the current voluntary restriction currently in place.

Water use restrictions in Taneytown are implemented through mayoral declarations - and do not require action by the council to enact.