WINTER PARK, Fla. — The City of Winter Park is asking residents to conserve the amount of water they use due to a shortage of a chemical used to treat water.
The announcement on Saturday comes a day after Orlando Utilities Commission announced a similar request.
WATCH: OUC asking water customers to start conserving water immediately: Here’s why
The City of Winter Park Water & Wastewater is asking its customers to conserve water temporarily for at least two to three weeks.
The issue is caused by a shortage of liquid oxygen, which is used for the ozone gas to purify the water and is also in high demand to treat COVID-19 patients.
“The ripple effects of this pandemic are real and impacting so many unexpected elements of our lives. The city encourages all of those that are eligible to become vaccinated, continue wearing face coverings when in public indoor spaces, keep a safe social distance, and now please conserve water for a short period of time,” said City Manager Randy Knight. “This is one more way we can individually do our part to help our entire community emerge from this pandemic.”
WATCH: 9 simple ways to help conserve water
The city is urging customers to reduce water usage by not washing cars and to delay the use of pressure washers, officials said.
Officials said customers that use potable water for irrigation are also asked to minimize how much they water their lawns.
This does not apply to customers using private wells, reclaimed water, or other non-potable water sources, according to a release.
WATCH: Cities begin limiting irrigation after OUC asks water customers to start conserving
Officials said if enough water is not conserved during this critical time, system-wide boil water alerts may need to be issued before water can be used for cooking or drinking.
See more in the video above.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.
©2021 Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/DGDPRSDCXJGNZMKG6QWHVK7NBQ.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GVL4X5F5LISPGG57T54GCHOB4Q.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/VRSM54FUZVGYFEOVUE236D6ERU.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/POQCS6IOAVF27OAJOTRBTARFDM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/KTU6H6SXYJAZTM7POYRTBUH2NM.jpg)