Evansville Residents Urged to Conserve Water

UPDATE - January 9th at 4:15PM: More details are starting to trickle in (pun somewhat intended) about the issue at the Water Treatment Plant on Waterworks Road which has caused Mayor Winnecke's office to urge all residents served by the city water department to conserve usage for the next few days.

Earlier reports that this week's weather played a factor in the problem have been confirmed. The Water Department tells 14 News the issue correlates with the higher-than-normal number of water main breaks in the city over the past few days due to the brutally cold weather experienced earlier in the week, and the subsequent warm up over the past couple of days.

The cold snap also brought the temperature of the water supply from the Ohio River down to a level making it difficult to meet water quality standards, which is adding fuel to the problem.

As reported earlier (see below), the combination of these issues has dropped the capacity of the reservoir to 40-percent which could lead to pressure problems throughout the city and the possibility of a city-wide boil advisory.

Officials with the Water Department say that conservation by city residents can help keep those issues from happening. They offer the following suggestions for conservation:

Turn off water while you're brushing your teeth or shaving
Take showers instead of baths
If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and fill the tub only half-full
Wash only full loads of laundry
Hold off on getting a car wash

Original story - While details are scarce as to the exact issue of the problem, Mayor Winnecke's Office says the cause is related to this week's weather

According to reports, officials with knowledge of the situation say the reservoir is at only 40-percent of capacity and the filtration system is running behind.

Water pumps responsible for delivering water throughout the city had to be shut down for cleaning which has affected water pressure for residents in outlying areas of the city served by the city water department.

The chances are also high that boil advisories will be issued throughout the city.

We'll keep you updated on the situation as more information become available.

[Source: 14 News]