Town issues water rationing order

December 30, 2021 1:30 am
town

Submitted by The Town of Friday Harbor.

The Town of Friday Harbor has noted that water levels in the water storage tanks in Town are dangerously low and the Town is therefore imposing an immediate water rationing order and may later need to initiate planned service outages to maintain service. We have no indication that there are major leaks in the distribution line to town or from our mains within town. It is believed that the majority of the water loss currently is as a result of broken pipes in homes and businesses. The Town Water Plant is running at full capacity and is unable to keep up with the water loss we are experiencing.

If you are able, please check around your home or business for obvious signs of standing or running water. Please check the crawl spaces under your home if possible, to check for broken pipes. Please be alert to conditions around your neighborhood that may indicate significant leaking. Look for large wet areas where snow should be or for unusually large sheets of ice. If you find any indication of suspected line breaks or leakage, please report your finding to the Sheriff’s office at (360) 378-4151 or 911 if an emergency.

The Town hopes that this is a temporary condition and that the sources of the problems will reveal themselves when weather warms over the weekend. If you have neighbors that are currently away or know of currently vacant buildings, please keep an eye open for signs of running water external to the structures.

The following emergency procedures should be followed:

• Please minimize the flushing of toilets and hold yellow water as long as possible

• Please do not wash clothes until this situation is remedied

• Please take extremely short showers and avoid the running of baths. Do not allow water to run while brushing your teeth or doing dishes.

Many of the houses in Friday Harbor are older construction and have inadequate insulation and wrapping of pipes. We greatly appreciate your assistance in keeping usage down and seeking the cause of the problems. We intend to notify the public by press release as soon as normal water usage can resume. You can call Town Hall with questions or concerns at 360- 378-2810.