Treatment plant fixed, Edmonton lifts ban on non-essential water use

EDMONTON – The mandatory ban on non-essential water use in Edmonton and surrounding communities has been lifted.

Water-operator Epcor says repairs have been completed at the affected treatment plant and the system has stabilized.

The ban had been in place since Monday, when an electrical outage at the plant compromised pumps delivering drinking water to the network.

Epcor says with the help of residents and large users like car washes and laundromats, more than 100 million litres of water were conserved.

That savings allowed residents to still get drinking water, while not compromising fire protection.

The ban was originally expected to be in place through the weekend.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2024.