Manitoba town almost running out of water, cause found

Monday, January 29, 2018, 1:26 PM - The town of Swan River, Man., remained under a local state of emergency on Monday, after almost running out of water over the weekend.

The emergency was declared after a drop in water pressure was detected over the weekend, and residents were limited to four litres per day for drinking, cooking and sanitation while town authorities searched for the cause.

On Monday morning, the town said the culprit was "multiple issues in multiple wells in providing water to the treatment plant."

"The current water level in the reservoir is critically low," the town said in a release. "At this time safe water is being produced."

“We’ve never had to deal with something like this before,” Deputy Mayor Lance Jacobson told the Weather Network Sunday.

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Jacobson told CBC News Monday that several valves on two of the town's wells prevented well water from being piped to the town's treatment plant. The town says it will be some days before restrictions can be lifted, and it will still provide emergency drinking water at Swan Valley Regional Secondary School (SVRSS) Trades building, along with portable porta-potties at the Swan Valley Co-op wash bay.

"We request residents to continue water restriction and conservation practices to assist in refilling the reservoir until Thursday at the earliest," the town says.

Swan River is a community of 4,000 people located about 480 km northwest of Winnipeg.

SOURCES: Swan River | CBC News