Hope ahead as most of region ends water advisories

Rainfall of between 50 and 100 millimetres tested the water systems in the Edmonton region over the weekend, but the proverbial dam is holding — at least for now. The City of Edmonton called off a request to limit water use for things such as laundry and dishwashing on June 22, as did St. Albert and Stony Plain.

Mayor Andrew Knack thanked citizens for their compliance in an email release: "These actions matter, and help reduce the strain on the system at a critical time," he wrote. "I would also like to thank all the crews that have worked diligently over the weekend to ensure Edmontonians' safety." But Beaumont's water-use alert remained in place as of the afternoon of June 23. "There's a lot going on underground at the moment, so we're going to need people to keep up with their efforts," Beaumont spokesperson Mike Berezowsky told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active. Stormwater and wastewater typically go in separate places, but heavy rain can overwhelm these systems and cause them to intertwine, University of Calgary professor Kerry Black told CBC's Edmonton AM. That's why limiting water use matters. "The minute you turn on the tap, everything that comes out of that tap is making its way into the wastewater system, which is already being pressured by the stormwater system that is already at capacity," Black said.

The incessant rain caused other damage, with flooded basements throughout the region. Residents of the Jubilee Landing mobile home community in Sherwood Park expressed fears about whether emergency services could access them after a storm pond overflowed. A number of roads were closed in Leduc County, and some St. Albert residents suddenly found themselves with lakefront property. Environment Canada forecasts hot, sunny days through June 25, though the rain is expected to return from June 26 to at least June 29.