Update as of Wednesday, May 14:
The City of Manitou Springs is still asking the community to continue their conservation efforts through the end of the week.
The City's Water Treatment Plant has been able to run consistently for 12 hours, which is an improvement from the past four days.
And while the plant treated 320,000 gallons of water, all of the water was used that day.
According to the city, turbidity levels have improved, and water quality has stabilized slightly. Yet, storage tanks are at 50% capacity, meaning conservation is still necessary.
The city also asks that residents, business owners, and utility customers enroll in the Manitou Springs CivicReady alert system to receive updates on the situation.
You can enroll for the alerts here.
Previous coverage:
The City of Manitou Springs is experiencing a critical water supply emergency and is directing community members and businesses to cease water use expect for essential drinking purposes.
Due to high turbidity levels in the city's water source and the unavailability of its backup water supply, water reserves have dropped faster than expected. The city says because of this, strict emergency water restrictions are required.
According to the city, turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness of water caused by suspended particles such as organic matter, sediment and microorganisms.
According to the city, the following is prohibited:
- dishwashing (except for sanitation)
- laundry
- showers
- irrigation
- car washes
- commercial or industrial uses not essential to drinking
The city also says they are working to maintain a safe, minimal supply of drinking water to prevent system failure.
Due to these efforts, Manitou Springs School District 14 will be closed Tuesday and the Manitou Springs Pool and Fitness Center is closed until further notice, impacting the following programs.
- fitness classes
- swim lessons
- team practices
After last week's storm, the city says the Pikes Peak region received several feet of snow. As temperatures rose, rapid snowmelt increased runoff into the watershed.
Runoff carries high levels of organic material and sediment, which raises turbidity in the water.
The city says the treated water stored in tanks meets all State of Colorado drinking water standards, however, the volume of available treated water is critically low.
According to the city, their secondary water tank has added resiliency to the system, but with limited supply and no backup available, the community needs to take urgent action.
Another issue is that the one of the pipelines used as a backup water source is out of service. Colorado Springs Utilities crews are making emergency repairs and expect to have the pipeline leaks fixed by the end of the week.
Contact one of the following if you have any urgent water-related concerns:
- Public Works Emergency Line: (719)685-2557
- Urgent Public Works Issues: (719)492-0058
- Water/Sewer Emergencies: (719)492-1970
- General Inquiries: (719)685-2573
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