Manitou Springs Residents Urged: Use Water Only for Essential Drinking Needs

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) — Following a severe water supply crisis, the city of Manitou Springs has requested that all residents and business owners stop using water entirely, with the exception being only for necessary consumption.

On Monday, the city announced that elevated turbidity levels, indicating poor water quality, in Manitou Springs' main water source, coupled with the temporary unavailability of their secondary supply, has led to a rapid depletion of water reserves.

Officials said residents were required to cease any non-drinking water use.

Officials said the following uses of water within the city are “strictly prohibited”:

• Cleaning dishes (unless required for hygiene purposes)
• Laundry
• Showering and bathing
• Outdoor sprinklers and irrigation
• Car washing
• All water usage purposes that aren't immediately essential for quenching thirst

Authorities stated that both residents and businesses inside Manitou Springs are required to strictly adhere to the emergency mandate as the city strives to preserve a limited but safe drinking water supply and avoid a potential system collapse.

The Manitou Springs School District 14 will remain closed on Tuesday because of the shortage. It has not provided information on when classes will resume.

On Monday, the Manitou Springs Pool and Fitness Center was shut down indefinitely, with authorities stating that all fitness classes, swimming lessons, and team practice sessions have been called off.

The City mentioned that Manitou Springs is part of the "Fryingpan-Arkansas Project," designed to act as a secondary source whenever the flow from French Creek fails to satisfy the city’s water requirements or when turbidity levels become excessively high for proper purification.

The city stated that Manitou Springs obtains its Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water via two methods: by exchanging for storage in the Manitou Reservoir and by directly delivering it using the Old Northslope Pipeline operated by Colorado Springs Utilities.

Authorities stated that the Old North Slope Pipeline has been taken offline temporarily due to urgent maintenance needs. According to them, Colorado Springs Utilities aims to finish these repair works by the end of this week. Following successful completion of these fixes, the city plans to resume utilizing the Old North Slope Pipeline as their primary water supply source.

“As a result of dam work at Crystal Reservoir, we’ve had to recharge the Old North Slope Pipeline multiple times. During this process leaks were discovered on the 100-year-old pipeline. Repairs are complex due to the mountainous terrain and the age of the pipe. We are working as quickly as possible to get the Old North Slope Pipeline back into service,” a spokesperson for Colorado Springs Utilities said.

The utilities also mentioned that Colorado Springs' water supply remains unaffected.

Moreover, the officials from Manitou Springs have stated that they do not intend to impose penalties for non-compliance unless absolutely essential. Instead, they advise residents to seek alternatives such as visiting friends’ homes or utilizing public amenities in Colorado Springs should they require a shower. Additionally, local eateries are being instructed not to provide water except upon request.

"At present, we have approximately 1.75 million gallons available. Given our community consists of around 5,000 residents, I believe we can manage quite comfortably with these resources. We prefer to err on the side of caution so as not to face an issue later that might put us in a challenging position," stated John Graham, who serves as the mayor of Manitou Springs.

Individuals facing critical water-related issues should reach out to the contacts listed below:

• Public Works Emergency Line: 719-685-2557
• Critical Infrastructure Concerns: 719-492-0058
• Water/Sewer Emergencies: 719-492-1970
• General Inquiries: 719-685-2573