Water Utility Implements Mandatory Water Ban in Edmonton Due to Pump Failure

Epcor, the water utility serving Edmonton and surrounding areas, has issued a mandatory ban on non-essential water use. The ban comes in response to a pump failure at the E.L. Smith water treatment plant in southwest Edmonton.

Early Monday morning, around 2 a.m., an electrical system failure in the distribution pumping systems caused the water movement from the plant to be disrupted, according to Craig Bonneville, Epcor’s director of engineering and technical services. As a result, the Rossdale water treatment plant, while operational, cannot fully support the normal water consumption of the service area.

No specific timeline has been provided for when the repairs at the E.L. Smith plant will be completed, leaving customers uncertain about when water service will be restored. Epcor has assured residents that despite the pump failure, there is no impact on the quality of the drinking water.

To mitigate the water shortage, Epcor has called on residents and businesses in Edmonton, along with Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Morinville, Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Beaumont, and Fort Saskatchewan, to eliminate non-essential water use. This includes measures such as taking shorter showers, turning off taps while brushing teeth or shaving, and delaying laundry and dishwashing.

While the ban primarily affects residential users, businesses using large volumes of non-essential water, such as laundromats and car washes, have been asked to halt water usage as well. Exemptions apply to businesses that provide life-sustaining products or services and those that need water to meet health code standards.

Epcor emphasizes the value of customers’ cooperation in conserving water as this would help buy time for their repair crews to address the pump failure. Water pressure may be reduced during this period until service is fully restored at the E.L. Smith plant.