Ban on non-essential water use in Edmonton region expected to last until Sunday, Epcor says
CBC
The ban on non-essential water use in the Edmonton region is expected to continue until Sunday, Epcor said Tuesday afternoon.
Epcor said it has determined the likely cause of the failure and is replacing major electric cables to the large, 4,000-horsepower water distribution pumps that feed the reservoir system at the E.L. Smith water treatment plant in southwest Edmonton.
The utility expects the repair work will be finished by the end of the weekend.
Craig Bonneville, Epcor's director of engineering and technical services, said they'll be doing a thorough analysis of what went wrong.
"We're still investigating all the root causes of the failure," Bonneville told news media in an update Tuesday.
"The E.L. Smith water treatment plant is approximately 50-years-old, so we do invest in that facility continuously to ensure that it is reliable."
Once the repairs are finished, the plant will still need replenish the reservoir system before water restrictions can be lifted, Epcor said.
Of the four pumps in the system, two have now been temporarily restored and are operating but the largest two pumps still need repairs.
Epcor called for a mandatory ban on non-essential water use Monday after finding the electrical failure.
A day later, Epcor says it's seen a noticeable reduction in consumption from 370 to 340 million litres a day.
"Epcor would like to thank everyone in the region who has reduced their usage and supported these efforts," the utility said in a news release Tuesday.
The ban applies to Edmonton and surrounding communities including Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Morinville, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Beaumont, Fort Saskatchewan and others. In total, more than 90 communities in the capital region use water supplied by Epcor.
The Rossdale water treatment plant remains in operation.
Drinking water quality isn't affected, Epcor said.
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