In a press release this weekend, the City of Winter Park Water & Wastewater Utilities Department asked its customers to temporarily conserve water for at least two or three weeks due to a shortage of liquid oxygen caused by the current surge of COVID-19 treatments. Liquid oxygen is an essential component of the ozone gas that the department uses to purify the water.
As part of its request to conserve water, the department is urging customers to avoid washing cars, delay using pressure washers, and limit the use of potable water for irrigation.
In the release, the department warned: “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.”
City Manager Randy Knight was quoted in the release, saying “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. This is one more way we can individually do our part to help our entire community emerge from this pandemic.”