Don’t drink the water in Victor; City declares emergency amid days-long water outage
Michael Logerwell
UPDATE 5/11: The City of Victor has continued making progress overnight on both repairing the water system and refilling our water storage tanks. Crews remain actively on site and additional support crews will be assisting today to help accelerate repairs and restoration efforts.
At this time, additional updates regarding usage restrictions, boil orders, and timelines for the full restoration of service will be shared later as we continue stabilizing the system and evaluating conditions.
We know this situation has been incredibly disruptive and appreciate the community’s continued patience as crews work around the clock.
VICTOR, Colo. (KRDO) – In the midst of a water outage that began on Thursday, the City is officially declaring an emergency.
The city says any water in your home shouldn’t be used for anything, including but not limited to:
Showering
Laundry
Dishwashing
Flushing toilets
Outdoor use
Any consumption
“Thursday, we hit a snag when some dirt was uncovered, and the infrastructure failed as the dirt was being removed. So, really just unexpected. That led to a whole cascade of failures in our system,” Bobby Tech, Victor’s Town Administrator, told KRDO13 that it started with that water outage on Thursday and has only gotten worse. Construction crews were working on replacing a 50 to 100-year-old water transmission main.
The city has created a formal emergency response team to coordinate operations, repairs, and community support. Tech says they’ve been working until the early hours of the morning to get the water back on.
“We are expecting to restore water in the next 24 to 48 hours. The longest duration we’re expecting is 72 at that point,” Tech said.
However, the issues won’t be fixed when the water starts flowing again. Tech says the city will still be under a boil notice that could last until May 21. It all depends on how quickly the water treatment plant can get the water drinkable again.
“I emphasize that this is a frustrating experience, and that’s not lost on anyone working for the city or working on this project,” Tech said.
Where to find water resources
While crews are still working on fixing the water issues, here is where Victor residents can find water-based resources.
Potable water is available at the Victor Fire House for residents to utilize instead of any water that may currently be present in homes or businesses. Non-potable water is available in Goldfield. The fire station will be staffed daily from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
The Aspen Mine Center will also provide meals for any community member who needs one.
Showers are also available to residents at:
Aspen Mine Center until 4:00 PM
Cripple Creek Parks & Recreation Building from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
For more information, the City of Victor is posting real-time updates on Facebook.