Strathcona County has placed an immediate ban on all non-essential water use, asking residents to take short showers and forgo washing the dishes.
Residents in Sherwood Park, Ardrossan, Josephburg, Half Moon Lake, Collingwood Cove, Antler Lake and Fultonvale are being asked to use water for essential purposes only, the county said Thursday in a news release.
Residents are asked to limit water use as crews repair one of the main water lines into Sherwood Park.
People are asked to take short showers and turn off taps while brushing their teeth or shaving. The county also said residents should postpone “non-essential laundry and dish washing.”
The ban is needed, the county said, because EPCOR construction and increased demand due to the hot weather have restricted the water supply.
The county has about a two-day supply of water stored up.
“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,” the county said.
Water-truck fill stations in Sherwood Park, Ardrossan and Half Moon Lake will also be closed until further notice.
Updates on the water ban will be available on a 24-hour recording at 780-467-7785 or on the county website at www.strathcona.ca/waterban.
The county also provided a phone number — 780-467-7785 — that people can call to report water ban violations.