Residents of Merritt, B.C., told to stop all non-essential water use

Residents of Merritt, B.C., are being told they will need to limit non-essential water use for at least another 48 hours due to a failure at the city's pump station Tuesday morning.

Mayor Michael Goetz told CTV News the pump failure was a "freak" incident at the Voght Well, where a gasket broke and water "jetted" into the electrical system.

"We are asking people not to use as much as they are right now because we are having to go to the smaller pumps to keep our water flowing," he said.

Although the gasket has been replaced, a restart of the electrical system can’t be done until it dries out, according to a late-afternoon update from the city.

Capacity has been ramped up at another pump station, which has mitigated the impact of the failure but has not restored the system to full capacity. People are being told not to water their lawns or do any outdoor washing. Watering vegetable gardens is allowed.

"It is vital that we all work together to conserve water so that we maintain our fire protection capacity," the city's update says.

The failure comes amid a heat wave, with daytime temperatures in the southern Interior expected to reach the high 30s or low 40s on Tuesday. Hot, dry conditions are also elevating the risk of wildfires.

In a social media post Tuesday, the City of Merritt said the current fire danger rating is Level 5, or extreme and reminded residents to prepare emergency kits and review evacuation plans.