Residents Asked To Temporarily Reduce Water Consumption

The ongoing rainfall and snowmelt is causing a significantly increased volume of water to enter the Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sewage Pumping Stations, the City of Peterborough says in a media release.

As a result of the current conditions, the Wastewater Treatment plant is in secondary by-pass mode, which means that effluent leaving the plant has received the initial cleaning treatment but has not received the final polishing treatment. In addition, the Park Street Pumping Station is in by-pass mode, which means that some raw sewage is entering the Otonabee River.

As such, property owners downstream of Peterborough who use private systems to draw water from the river are advised to take precautions and boil water. City of Peterborough residents are not required to boil water, as the municipal drinking water system is not impacted.

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The City of Peterborough is asking residents to reduce water consumption to help alleviate the volume of water flowing through the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sewage Pumping Stations.

Residents can reduce their water consumption by taking short showers instead of baths, limiting or delaying loads of laundry, limiting or delaying dishwasher use, and turning off taps while brushing teeth and doing dishes.

In addition, area residents are reminded of the dangerous conditions posed by the wet ground and fast flowing water, and are advised to stay well back of the shorelines of area lakes, rivers and streams. Similarly, residents are asked to remain away from dam structures and piers.

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