Water outages, bans and water restrictions occur for various reasons. Sometimes they are planned and allow for advance notification to residents. At other times, they are unexpected. Residents are encouraged to sign up for Strathcona County Alerts (SC Alerts) for notification on water outages, bans and restrictions via strathcona.ca/scalerts.

Map of water outages

You can view all current and planned water outages in Strathcona County on our water outage map.

What to do 

During a water restriction, residents are asked to reduce their non-essential water use.

During a water ban, residents are asked to discontinue all non-essential water use, and all outdoor water use is prohibited.

You can reduce your non-essential water use by:

• not watering lawns, trees and gardens
• taking short five minute showers
• not washing vehicles, driveways and house exteriors
• postponing laundry and dish washing
• waiting to fill hot tubs, pools or large aquariums
• turning off taps while shaving and brushing your teeth
• flushing toilets only when necessary

Why they happen

Water restrictions and bans can occur:

• during periods of hot, dry weather
• if there is construction on water pipes and facilities
• if there is an unexpected water emergency (i.e. water pipe break, etc.)

A water ban could be put in place if:

• there is an unexpected emergency with a major water system component resulting in a sudden shortage of water supply
• there is planned construction on a major water system component 
• the demand for water exceeds availability after water restriction has been in place
• storage reservoirs need time to replenish
• there is a water quality emergency

If you notice someone using a lot of water during a ban, you may want to make them aware of the ban or call 780-467-7785 to report violations. 

It is important to note that Strathcona County also manages water amounts to make sure there is sufficient water storage for firefighting.

Get notifications

During a water restriction or ban, notifications will be posted on our website, Facebook  and Twitter accounts. If possible, road signs will also be posted around the County letting you know about water restrictions and bans. Keep an eye out for them and know what you can and cannot do during these periods.

As part of emergency preparedness, residents are encouraged to sign up for SC Alerts to receive updates in case of serious water disruptions or other emergency events that may affect Strathcona County residents. Make sure to sign up for water ban and restriction notices.

Sign up for SC alerts