Region of Waterloo asking residents to limit water use for ‘critical’ pipe repairs

Local officials are asking residents and businesses to conserve water next week during repairs to a critical pipe that supplies about 20 per cent of the drinking water in the region.

After noticing the damage to the pipe, the Region of Waterloo plans to shut it off for repairs from Aug. 19 through Aug. 25.

The pipe is up to four feet in diameter, delivers drinking water, and supplies water for emergency services.

According to the Region of Waterloo, affected areas are widespread and include Kitchener, Waterloo, the northwest part of Cambridge, Elmira, St Jacobs, Breslau, Shingletown, Mannheim Village, Lloyd Brown, West Montrose, Conestogo and St Agatha.

The region requests conserving water use to the best of your abilities, such as taking shorter showers, using less water when brushing your teeth, or not washing your vehicle at home.

“We hope to make repairs quickly without significant impacts to the community,” Mari MacNeil, director of Water and Wastewater Service for the Region of Waterloo, said in a press release.

The municipality adds it will monitor water supplies to ensure it has enough water to meet emergency needs and supply affected areas as best it can, but will be counting on the community for help.

There are roughly 484 kilometres of water pipes that deliver drinking water across the region.

You can visit the Region of Waterloo’s website for more tips on water conservation.