OLA, Ark. (KTHV) -- Nearly 1,300 customers throughout Ola, Casa and Birta get their water from the Ola Water System.
Unfortunately, that same area has had two of the largest wildfires in the state this year just three weeks apart. Now, those customers are under a mandatory water conservation effort to save what water they have left.
"If we're short on water, we're short on water. We have to do what we have to do," says Sammy Turner, a long time resident of Ola.
This summer has been as dry as he has seen it in years.
"This is about the worst I've seen since about back in '80-'82, somewhere along in there, we had a spell something similar to this but it's been quite awhile," says Turner.
Mayor of Ola Jeff Black issued a mandatory water conservation order for his city in an effort to keep what little water they have left.
"Just in the past week and a half, we've dropped another foot. Any water that is pulled from the system right now is going to have an impact on our supply," says Black.
Now, after fighting two of the largest wildfires in the state during some of the driest months on record, the Ola Water System is desperate need of a boost.
"The fire departments on both fires that we've had with Ola and the Casa fire, they've drawn from the system. I wouldn't say they've had a major impact but they have had some impact," says Black. "We're not in an emergency state yet. We just want to make sure we don't go to that state."
It is a state that Turner says citizens are more than happy to help prevent.
"As far as a shortage or anything like that, I think the town will support the mayor on that. There's not much, you know, really don't have much choice," says Turner."Don't water your yard. Who wants to mow it anyway?"
It is a small price to pay until Mother Nature provides some relief.
"We're just praying for rain. That's all we can do," says Black.
Deltic Timber, a major logging company in Ola, has offered to help the water system by digging it's own wells to supply their own water so they won't be using Ola's. The mayor says with school starting next week and the end of summer in sight, they are hopeful the summer water consumption will go down.
The Ola Water System treats between ten and twelve million gallons of water a month. They hope to keep those numbers up to provide an adequate level for fire protection and human consumption.