Outdoor water ban in effect for Barrhaven, Riverside South and Manotick

As of April 27, 2011, an outdoor water ban has been issued by the City of Ottawa for the communities of Barrhaven, Riverside South and Manotick. This is a total outdoor water ban 24 hours a day. The ban is effective immediately and will ensure that the City can continue to provide safe drinking water to these areas.

This ban has been implemented while the Woodroffe Avenue water main (that broke in January) is replaced. The outdoor water ban is the only way we can protect our water supply and prevent the contamination of drinking water. Work to replace the water main will begin immediately and when complete will meet the long-term water needs of these communities.

This outdoor water ban includes:

• Watering grass or outdoor plans,
• Filling or topping up a pool or hot tub,
• Washing vehicles, boats or other equipment

The ban does not affect properties on well water.

Some City services will be affected: Splash pads and wading pools in the area will not be in use during the ban.

The ban is only in effect in Barrhaven, Riverside South and Manotick. The overall City water supply is not affected.

Background
In January of this year, a major water main break occurred on Woodroffe Avenue, which required that the road be closed for several days as repairs were completed. This is the second such break in this water main since 2007 and prompted an investigation. The investigation determined that the pipe needed to be replaced and water supply for the area has been transferred to a backup supply.

Why do we need an outdoor water ban?
Unfortunately, while this water supply line is built, the backup infrastructure does not have the capacity to meet the increased water demands of our communities over the summer. Residents in the Riverside South, Barrhaven and Manotick area will be reliant on our local reservoir for all our drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing water needs.

The reservoir cannot hold enough water or be refilled quickly enough to meet the increased water demands of residents watering the lawn and plants, washing the car or filling up a pool or hot tub so an outdoor water ban is necessary.

What will happen if the ban is not respected?
If this mandatory outdoor water ban is ignored and the reservoir is depleted, we will have a water shortage in our community and the pipes bringing water to our homes could be contaminated. This would lead to stricter bans, boil water advisories and flushing out and decontamination of the system.

This situation is completely avoidable if we work together as a community and eliminate outdoor water use. The ban does not affect any water use in your home, including doing laundry, washing dishes/dishwasher, showers/baths and regular indoor cleaning.

Please remember that your drinking water is safe now and there will be no risk to it if the outdoor water ban is followed.

How will the City help residents?
We recognize the significant impact this has on residents, particularly as it comes in the summer months, and the City is working on a number of measures to lessen the impact. Some of the assistance the City is proposing includes rebates on rain barrels, filling pools and free swimming at City facilities. I will be providing you with more information as these measures are confirmed.

For up-to-date information and Frequently Asked Questions, please visit ottawa.ca/waterinfo.

Written by Scott Moffatt from Rideau Gouplbourn

You can read more articles written by Scott Moffatt on  the website: http://rideaugoulbourn.ca/

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or concerns about the outdoor water ban. I am available to help you with any issues that arise as a result of the water ban. You can reach me by phone at 613-580-2491 or email at Scott.Moffatt@ottawa.ca.