Mackenzie Stafford
MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – The city of Manitou Springs says it’s experiencing a “critical water supply emergency” and is urging all residents and business owners to stop all water use immediately, except for essential drinking water needs.
The city said the emergency stems from high turbidity levels – or cloudiness – in its primary water source, combined with an unexpected outage of its backup supply. Together, these issues have resulted in a much faster depletion of the city’s water reserves than expected, city officials say.
Beginning May 12 and until further notice, all non-drinking water use in Manitou Springs is prohibited, including indoor and outdoor uses like:
Dishwashing (except when necessary for sanitation)
Laundry
Showering and bathing
Outdoor sprinklers and irrigation
Car washing
Any water uses not directly necessary for hydration
Businesses are also being asked to restrict their water distribution and minimize all water use. KRDO13 is working to speak with local business owners to learn how these emergency restrictions will affect their operations.
They say nothing comes for free, and for the people of Manitou Springs, the cost of a weekend of beautiful weather is an influx of snowmelt seeping into the water supply, picking up all sorts of debris on the way. The city says that runoff is usually not a big deal, but when they found literal cracks in their backup plan, it became clear they had a serious problem.
Typically, the city could wait for the water to be filtered through their water treatment plant as they tap into water from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU).
“We simply turn a valve, and the water comes into the Manitou Springs system. Well, that’s plan B, and plan B turned out it failed yesterday,” explained Manitou Springs Mayor John Graham.
But at the moment, the CSU line that supplies that backup water is cracked and crews are working to repair it – and for now, the city only has 1,750,000 gallons left.
Now, the mayor is calling for residents to get creative in helping the city preserve its water. Graham says he remembers years ago when Manitou Springs residents would go to the Colorado Springs YMCA to shower or to a friend’s house.
“Once upon a time, I got water from my brother who lives in Colorado Springs and trucked it over here. That was for cooking supplies,” recounted Mayor Graham, “Manitou people are fairly creative and pretty resilient, so I think we’ll be seeing some of that. But really, the primary task is to be as conservative as possible.”
Graham said that people found not conserving water could be fined, but he stressed the city doesn’t really want to do that, and is hoping people will abide by the restrictions.
“We’re asking for cooperation. I think most people will cooperate. If there are cases of extravagant use of water, especially once people know that we have restrictions in the need to conserve, then yes, if we have to, we’ll take more stringent action. But really, come on, let’s all be good neighbors. Let’s try to get through this and smile,” shared Mayor Graham.
The mayor tells KRDO13 that, to his understanding, the issue should be fixed by Saturday.
In the meantime, the city’s treated water remains safe to drink and continues to meet all Colorado drinking water standards, but the volume of that treated water is critically low, the city said.
“The City is working to maintain a safe, minimal supply of drinking water and to prevent system failure during this emergency period,” a spokesperson for the city said in a release.
To further support the city’s emergency conservation efforts, the Manitou Springs Pool and Fitness Center will be closed until further notice, and all scheduled fitness classes, swimming lessons and team practices are cancelled for the time being, the city said.
Current issues in the city’s water supply
Manitou Springs’ primary water supply comes directly from French Creek in Pikes Peak, which received several feet of snow in last week’s storm. As temperatures rise, snowmelt is causing an increase of runoff into the watershed, the city said.
That runoff carries high levels of sediment and other organic material, which is significantly clouding up the water entering Manitou Springs’ Water Treatment Plant.
Typically, the city would turn to its backup through Colorado Springs Utilities’ (CSU) Old Northslope Pipeline; however, the pipeline is temporarily out of service while it undergoes emergency repairs for leaks. CSU says it expects those repairs to be finished by the end of the week.
Once the repairs are complete, Manitou Springs will switch to using the Old Northslope Pipeline until turbidity levels in French Creek subside, city officials said.
Residents with urgent water-related concerns are encouraged to contact the appropriate numbers below:
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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