The City of Moose Jaw is reminding residents that voluntary water conservation remains in effect and will continue throughout the weekend.
The city was advised by the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant of a short-term reduction in the supply of water to customers due to “an issue with the plant.”
City manager Maryse Carmichael addressed the media via Teams on Friday afternoon to clarify the situation.
“We were informed earlier this week of some ongoing issues that were happening at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, mainly as part of the upgrade that they’re doing at the plant this year,” Carmichael said.
“Some changes they were making did not work as well as they thought. As a precautionary measure, we decided to put voluntary water conservation in effect for the City of Moose Jaw.”
Residents are being asked to reduce their water use over the next couple of days due to the reduced production of treated water.
Carmichael said the situation with city reservoirs is that they are just below optimal operating conditions, but production levels are improving.
“A big thank you to our residents and businesses in the area because we have seen a decrease of about 10 to 15 per cent in water consumption, so that really helps. Between the work our residents are doing and the improving production levels, we are coming back to near-normal capacity,” Carmichael said.
To help conserve water, residents are asked to:
- Turn off taps as much as possible during personal grooming activities.
- Shower instead of bathing, if possible.
- Run the washing machine and dishwasher only when full.
- Refrain from watering grass or landscaping as much as possible.
- Avoid filling hot tubs, pools, and ponds.
- Delay washing vehicles until the conservation request is lifted.
The city will not be filling the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool this weekend or any paddling pools. Spray parks will be turned off, and city equipment and vehicles will not be washed unless required for health and safety. Street cleaning that requires water has also been paused.
More information on the water advisory can be found on the City of Moose Jaw website.