A non-essential water use ban in St. Albert has been lifted, so residents are now allowed to water their lawns and wash their vehicles.
The city lifted the ban at 5 p.m. Wednesday after repairing a water main break near the Oakmont reservoir. The city issued the ban on Monday in response to the break that happened the previous Friday.
Cleanup work will continue until Tuesday, but residents are now free to use water as usual, said director of engineering services Todd Wyman.
“They shouldn’t notice too much of a difference,” he said. “There might be a few lower pressures depending on our system demands.”
Oak Vista Drive between Otter Crescent and Oakhill Place will continue to be restricted until Tuesday, when the street is expected to be fully repaired, Wyman said.
The ban will continue to apply to city departments and contractors, probably until Tuesday as well.
The city’s water comes from three reservoirs that are filled continuously from Edmonton-based EPCOR. The break near the Oakmont reservoir also hampered the operation of the reservoir at Lacombe Park. This situation will be back to normal by Tuesday, Wyman said.
The Oakmont break occurred in a most inopportune location, as it was very close to the reservoir, Wyman said. At 20 inches in diameter, the affected pipe is capable of carrying between 100 to 400 litres per second.
The city hired a contractor to perform the excavation work. Wyman doesn’t know yet what the final bill to the city will be.
“I just thank everybody for not using water when we asked them,” he said.
