Edmonton area residents urged to conserve water as heavy rainfall overwhelms drainage systems

Officials in Edmonton and several neighbouring communities are urging residents to reduce water use after heavy rainfall caused localized flooding and pushed stormwater and sewer systems toward capacity.

The City of Edmonton issued a water supply alert, saying flooding and sewer backups have been reported in surrounding areas and warning that additional problems could occur if the stormwater system continues operating above capacity.

Utility provider Epcor asked customers to delay activities that use large amounts of water, including showering, running washing machines and dishwashers, and to limit toilet flushing where possible.

Similar conservation warnings have been issued in nearby municipalities, including St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Beaumont and Tofield, as the region deals with the effects of the prolonged rainfall.

According to Environment Canada, as much as 110 millimetres of rain had fallen across parts of the Edmonton area by early Sunday evening, with up to another 40 millimetres expected before the rain tapers off on Monday.