Utilities Kingston is asking customers in the central and east areas of Kingston to conserve tap water this Thursday, May 31, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Contractor Cromer Industries, working for Utilities Kingston, will conduct leak detection to locate a water leak on a large 600 mm trunk water main. This water main is located in the Beverly Street easement, from Union Street to the King Street Water Treatment Plant. Personnel will use acoustic technology to listen for the leak. The water plant will be shut down to eliminate noise coming from this facility, which could otherwise interfere with the acoustic test.

During this time, water will be drawn from storage facilities. While we have enough potable water to meet demand, we are urging customers to conserve water use and help ensure an adequate supply for fire protection.

Affected areas are serviced by the east and central water systems, as indicated on our Water Treatment Areas map.

Once the leak is located, Utilities Kingston will plan to repair it as quickly as possible. Localized water outages may be required and will be communicated in advance.

Utilities Kingston anticipates challenges accessing the water main to do this work, as it is located in a cliff running through backyards. Employees from Utilities Kingston and Cromer Industries will require access to backyards in residential areas. Those affected will receive advanced notice in their mailbox. Utilities Kingston staff and its contractors always carry identification.

On Thursday, to conserve water and help ensure adequate supply for fire protection, residents and businesses serviced by the east and central water systems are asked to:

• Delay watering plants and gardens, washing cars, or otherwise using hoses or sprinklers.
• Use water from a rain barrel instead and learn about the Utilities Kingston rain barrel program 
• Favour short showers over baths.
• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and avoid running the tap longer than needed.
• Don’t flush every time you use the toilet.
• If you can, hold off on doing laundry until after 7 p.m., when electricity prices are off-peak.
• If your dishwasher is more than 10 years old, wash dishes by hand and use a separate container for rinsing.
• If you have a newer, Energy Star dishwasher, set the timer to wash dishes after 7 p.m., when electricity prices are off-peak.
• Consider shifting some of your water use to off-peak times (overnight, after 9 p.m.)
• Visit our Water Conservation Garden for free guided tours, Monday to Friday at 10:30 a.m. to learn more ways to conserve water – or check our online resource on water conservation for more information at utilitieskingston.com/Water/Conservation/ConservationGarden.

We’d like to thank the community for their assistance and apologize for the inconvenience.