This year, though, the city isn’t in the midst of an outdoor watering ban.

At least not yet.

“As the heat wave and lack of rain persists, we may have to do so in the near future,” City Administrator Shane Krull said. “People should reduce their outside usage as much as they can to alleviate any potential problems down the road.”

A suggested even-odd watering plan for residents has stayed in effect since last summer, but rain in the spring and on into June helped keep a watering ban at bay, Krull said.

Water levels in Tonganoxie the last two weeks have stayed in the 12- to 13-foot range, while the city has been pumping an average of 450,000 gallons per day.

In Olathe, however, the city on Friday issued a water emergency, forbidding outdoor watering. By Monday, Olathe officials loosened the ban and, instead, required residents to follow an odd-even watering schedule and implemented other restrictions.

In Tonganoxie, city officials hope to avoid a future water crisis by purchasing additional water from the city of Bonner Springs.

The city has been in ongoing discussions with Rural Water Districts 6 and 9 about sharing up to 1,000 gallons per minute of additional water from Bonner Springs.

Because of concerns from the rural districts about water pressure levels with the additional water, a study is under way. Krull said it should be complete soon.