Regina water back to normal in 2 weeks

City officials say Regina's water supply system will be slowly eased back to normal over a period of one to two weeks.

Regina, Moose Jaw and other communities served by Buffalo Pound Lake have been thirsting for water since May 25 when officials said the ability of the treatment facility at the reservoir to handle unexpected algae in the source water led to a drop in supplies.

This slow return is critical so we avoid putting too much strain on the water supply.- Mayor Michael Fougere

Community leaders sought a voluntary curb on water use, aiming for a 25 per cent reduction.

"The situation has now changed in the lake,"Ryan Johnson, the manager at Buffalo Pound, said in a statement Monday. "We can now manage water demand."

The return to normal will be gradual.

In Regina, the city will be using non-potable water as much as possible until the system is fully back to normal.

"We are asking for residents and businesses to help by slowly returning to normal water use levels over the next sevento 14 days," a media release issued Monday said.

"Residents have been very patient and they have helped us immensely by voluntarily reducing their water consumption when we asked," Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said. "This slow return is critical so we avoid putting too much strain on the water supply and the system that provides it to us."

Hereare some highlights from the city's plan:

• June 9-15: Residents may resume hand-watering of gardens and other landscaping and in the morning (before 6 a.m. CST) or evening (after 8 p.m.). Limited use of sprinklers can also be resumed; however, total sprinkler use should not exceed 20 minutes in a 24-hour period.
• June 16 and beyond: Residents may resume normal indoor and outdoor water use.
• Residents are still encouraged to practice good water conservation measures.
• June 9-15: Businesses and institutions should begin phasing in normal water use over the next seven days. Return to normal operations should be evenly distributed over the course of the next week rather than bringing all suspended operations back online immediately.
• June 16 and beyond: Businesses and institutions may resume normal water uses.
• All city of Regina athletic fields remain closed to play for a minimum of seven days to allow the surfaces to recover. The community and user groups will be notified when normal use can resume.

The outdoor pools:

Outdoor pool filling starts, one at a time, in the following order:

• Wascana Pool (June 9).
• Regent Pool (June 10).
• Massey Pool (June 11).
• Maple Leaf Pool (June 12).
• Dewdney Pool (June 15).

Moose Jaw:

The City of Moose Jaw is following a similar plan.

Officials there are asking homeowners with even-numbered houses to water their lawns on even-numbered days, and odd-numbered houses on odd-numbered days, for a maximum of 20 minutes per day.

The city is also asking people to avoid washing their vehicles and other discretionary uses of water for the time being.