UPDATE: The water ban was lifted Saturday morning. The latest information can be found here.
A ban on non-essential water use was put in place Friday afternoon in Strathcona County after a line break cut off the water connection into Sherwood Park.
EPCOR is working to fix the problem but county officials said there is no timeline for when the repairs will be complete.
“The water ban is necessary to ensure the water stored in our reservoirs meets the demand for critical activities such as firefighting, drinking and cooking,” a media release from the county stated Friday afternoon.
The county has about two days of water storage. Tammy Lockhart, with the Strathcona County utilities department, said the county has options to bring in more water if needed. Those contingency plans would likely be worked on starting Saturday, she said.
“We could look at things such as hauling water to our reservoirs from other communities if needed,” Lockhart said.
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People are asked to use as little water as possible by taking short showers, turning off the tap while brushing their teeth and postponing non-essential laundry and dishwashing.
“Try and push off any laundry that you have to do for the weekend; try not to wash your car this weekend. If you could reduce the number of showers or baths that you’re having, anything non-essential,” Lockhart said.
Watch below: Would you pee in the shower to conserve water?
Truck fill stations in Strathcona County will also be closed until further notice.
“There are other communities that people can go to for truck fills such as Fort Saskatchewan and the city (of Edmonton),” Lockhart said.
Updates on the water ban will be available around the clock online, on the county’s social media channels and by calling 780-417-2398. Residents can also sign up for Strathcona County Alerts on the county’s website.
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