The Onondaga County Water Authority has issued mandatory water restrictions in six towns in eastern Onondaga and western Madison counties, after a large water line broke over the weekend.
OCWA says a 42-inch-diameter transmission main that carries Lake Ontario water from a pump station in Clay to reservoirs suffered a major break Saturday, resulting in a conservation alert being issued on Saturday.
On Monday, mandatory restrictions were put in place for residents in the Onondaga County towns of Manlius (including the villages of Minoa, Fayetteville and Manlius), DeWitt and Pompey, and the Madison County towns of Lenox (including the village of Canastota), Sullivan (including the village of Chittenango) and Lincoln.
OCWA says it could take up to two weeks to repair the break, and residents may experience reduced water pressure and flow during that time. OCWA is working to re-route water from other sources in an effort to keep the water flowing.
Officials have told car washes located in the affected areas to stop service, and businesses to have employees work from home, if possible, to reduce water usage.
OCWA asks residents to use water for essential needs only, and to restrict use in the following ways:
Using laundry facilities in unaffected parts of the OCWA system (western and northern Onondaga County).
• Adjusting all water-using appliances to use the minimum amount of water.
• Running the dishwasher and washing machine at full load. If you wash dishes by hand, use a bucket or container with soapy water and only use the faucet for quick rinsing of scrubbed dishes.
• Taking 5-minute showers and shallower baths. Turn off the shower while soaping; turn off the faucet while brushing teeth, etc.
• Reducing the number of toilet flushes per day. Each flush uses about 5 to 7 gallons.
• Using sink and tub stoppers to avoid wasting water.
• Keeping a bottle of chilled drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the water till it gets cold.
• Eliminating use of water for ornamental purposes, including but not limited to fountains, artificial waterfalls and reflecting pools.
• Reusing water when possible.
