Town of Essex issues immediate outdoor water ban for Harrow and Colchester South

The Town of Essex declared an immediate temporary ban on outdoor water use for Harrow and Colchester South Wednesday, instructing residents to stop watering their lawns or gardens and limit all non-essential water use as much as possible.

Town officials say the ban will be in effect until further notice and was implemented “due to extreme weather events on the shores of Lake Erie, the Harrow and Colchester South Water Treatment Plant is currently experiencing a significant reduction in water level.”

The reduced levels, along with increased water consumption during the summer, has created a burden on the system limiting the supply of water reserved for Harrow and Colchester South residents, officials say.

“It is essential that residents of Harrow and Colchester South suspend the use of outside water as a preventative measure to ensure that we do not experience a severe shortage.” Mayor Richard Meloche said in a news release. “The Town of Essex would like to thank residents for their cooperation at this time.”

Residents are asked to reference their current water bills or take a look at the water distribution map to find out if they are a client of the Harrow and Colchester South Water Treatment Plant.

Officials are reminding residents that the current water supply is completely safe for consumption and does not pose any health risk.

Effective immediately the town is asking residents to suspend the residential use of outside water including garden and lawn watering, car washing, etc. at all times. As well as limiting all non-essential water use to reduce the demand on the system.

In addition, the Harrow and Colchester splash pads will be closed until further notice.

The town says it is actively working with Union Water supply to get additional water supply in case of an emergency shortage.