Residents in Westlock, Alberta can go back to their regular water routines, as the town lifted its emergency water conservation notice on Monday, June 22. The notice, which asked everyone to stop non-essential water use like laundry and long showers, came after a weekend deluge overwhelmed the local wastewater system.
The Town of Westlock issued the alert at 2:30 p.m. on June 21, as a heavy rainstorm pushed the system to its limit. Director of Operations Robin Benoit said the region got between 80 and 100 millimetres of rain, surcharging the town’s sanitation system. Normally, the system handles about 1,900 cubic metres of wastewater each day, but on June 21, it took in an estimated 5,700 cubic metres – three times the usual flow.
The sudden surge led to localized flooding and sewer backups in some areas. Environment Canada had issued a yellow rainfall warning for the area, with total precipitation expected between 75 and 150 millimetres before the storm tapered off on Monday. The same weather system also forced other central Alberta communities like Morinville, Barrhead, and Stony Plain to ask residents to cut back on water.
By Monday afternoon, town crews confirmed the system had stabilized, and the advisory was lifted. “That notice has now been lifted, as of Monday afternoon, June 22,” the town said in a statement. This means Westlock households no longer need to limit water to only essentials – showers, dishes, and laundry can all get back to normal.
Benoit noted that this kind of overload is rare but not new for Westlock. A similar event happened in 2016 when abnormal rainfall also swamped the treatment process. The town has planned upgrades to its wastewater system to handle bigger storms, with work possibly starting as early as 2027.
