City of Bend outlines details of three-stage water curtailment plan, should a serious emergency ever strike

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The City of Bend said Friday it wants to inform the community that it has a three-stage water curtailment plan that water customers may need to participate in if there’s ever a water shortage.

But they also stressed:

This is NOT an alert and the city is NOT currently in any stage of its water curtailment plan.

If needed, curtailment stages would reduce water demand during supply shortages, which can happen as the result of prolonged drought or system failure from unanticipated events, including fire, lightning strikes, flooding, landslides, earthquakes and contamination, mechanical or electrical equipment failure, or events not under control of the city (for example, power outages and/or intentional malevolent acts).

These three curtailment stages are of increasing severity and could be initiated in progressive steps or at the highest level on short notice. These curtailment stages (1- POTENTIAL, 2- SERIOUS AND 3- SEVERE) are separate from and in addition to seasonal water conservation messages intended to heighten awareness regarding seasonal outdoor landscape irrigation water use and water conservation in general.

In addition to providing potable water supply for human consumption and sanitation needs for the City of Bend’s water customers, the city also needs to keep 20 pounds per square inch of water pressure throughout the city’s distribution system and minimum levels of water storage in its reservoirs for fire protection.

“The city could trigger a Water Curtailment stage based on a number of potential factors. We want our community to be aware of the plan, in the unlikely event that we need to use it,” said Utility Department Director Mike Buettner. “If the right combination of factors happen at once, we’ll need the community’s support to maintain public health and safety, and we appreciate our customers being part of the solution.”

‘Stage 1: Potential’ is a voluntary request for customers to reduce or halt landscape irrigation and other nonessential water uses. ‘Stage 2: Serious’ and ‘Stage 3: Severe” would be enforceable restrictions on non-essential water use such as landscape irrigation, washing driveways, filling swimming pools and more.

More details and information about the Water Curtailment Plan can be found at Water Curtailment Stages | City of Bend (bendoregon.gov)