Precautionary Drinking Water Advisory Remains In Effect – notifynow Will Be Used When Lifted

Business and residents have been boiling water for consumption since Monday afternoon in Arbor Creek, Erindale, Evergreen, Forest Grove, University Heights Suburban Centre and Willowgrove, after a primary water main was damaged. The City has been providing daily updates by phone, email or text message to those in the affected area using the City’s Emergency Alert System, notifynow. This will be the primary communication tool once the advisory is lifted.

“We encourage people in the six affected neighbourhoods to pay attention to our notifynow alerts or check the status of the water advisory regularly at saskatoon.ca,” says Acting Director of Public Works, Trent Schmidt. “With Friday being Canada Day and a long weekend for many people, we are telling people now what they will need to do once they get the message.”

Once the Precautionary Drinking Water Advisory is lifted, affected areas will no longer need to boil tap water for consumption and begin using the tap water as normal after the following steps are completed:

1. Run cold water faucets and drinking fountains for at least 1 minute before using the water.
2. Drain and flush the ice-making system in your refrigerator.
3. Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
4. Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 45°C (normal setting is 60°C).

The Water Security Agency requires two sets of water samples from multiple representative locations in the affected area be laboratory tested and confirmed safe before ending the Precautionary Drinking Water Advisory. Results from the second set of tests will be available late Thursday.