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Orlando asks residents to limit water consumption due to COVID-19 impacts
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando Utilities Commission held a news conference asking residents to stop watering their lawns and washing their cars for at least a week, but that could be extended.
ORLANDO, Fla. - The City of Orlando is asking residents to reduce water consumption due to COVID-19.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) held a news conference asking residents to stop watering their lawns and washing their cars for at least a week.
Mayor Dyer said Friday that water usage needed to be cut back because of the recent surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
OUC treats the city's water with liquid oxygen and supplies that ordinarily go toward water treatment have been diverted to hospitals for patients suffering from the virus.
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"It’s another result what happens when residents don’t get vaccinated and become critically ill and are in need of dire medical support and treatment," Mayor Dyer said.
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Buddy Dyer, OUC speak about impacts of COVID-19
The City of Orlando is asking residents to reduce water consumption due to COVID-19. According to officials, the liquid oxygen used to treat water is being diverted to hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients.
The city-owned utility typically goes through 10 trucks of liquid oxygen a week but its supplier recently said that could be cut back to five to seven trucks a week to accommodate hospitals.
Officials said they believe if water consumption doesn't change, water treatment could hit a critical point in a week. If that happens, it could mean a possible boil water notice could be put in place.
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According to OUC, lawn and landscaping irrigation accounts for 40% of water use in Central Florida, and suspending those practices is the most critical way to reduce water consumption.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Limit watering your lawn or landscaping
- Limit using a pressure washer
- Limit washing your vehicle
- Wash only full loads in the dishwasher and clothes washer
- Take short showers
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving
- When washing dishes by hand, fill up the sink with water and turn off the faucet
- Recycle water rather than pour it down the drain (For instance, used water from a fish tank or your dog’s water bowl is good for watering plants)
- Repair leaking faucets and toilets
- Install water-saver flush valves in toilets
- Install low-flow showerheads
- Use the garbage disposal sparingly
- Water Conservation Tips
The city is already taking action to reduce water at places like parks and baseball fields.
To learn more, visit OUC's website.
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