Billings' two hospitals have joined Yellowstone County's public health agency in urging city residents to conserve water as high river levels affect the city's water plant operations.
The United Health Command, which consists of Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare, RiverStone Health and the Yellowstone Disaster and Emergency Services, released a joint statement Wednesday noting the importance of reliable water for health-care operations.
The groups recommended the following measures to conserve water:
● Refrain from watering grass and gardens
● Refrain from washing your vehicles until the plant is operational
● Put off doing laundry for several days if possible
● Only run the dishwasher when it is full
● Limit water used for or during showers and baths
On Tuesday night, the city shut down the water plant after the Yellowstone River rose above 15 feet, the threshold that affects the plant's operations. The city restarted the plant Wednesday at a low level of operation but continued to urge conservation to the preserve the ability to provide drinking water for all.
Read the full release from the United Health Command below:
Unified Health Command Urges Residents to Conserve Water
Billings, MT – With the recent news that the City of Billings was forced to shut down its water treatment plant late Tuesday night on June 14 due to flood water on the Yellowstone River, the Unified Health Command (UHC), made up of Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare, RiverStone Health and Yellowstone County Disaster and Emergency Services, stands with the City of Billings in asking area residents to take all reasonable steps to conserve water. That said, please know that our city's water is safe for drinking, and you should prioritize your health and hydration.
Plant operations resumed Wednesday afternoon at substantially low capacity. As a result, everyone in Billings is strongly encouraged to limit non-essential water usage supplied by the city water plant. Everyone can help the city by following this request. Several simple conservation actions include, but aren’t limited to:
● Refrain from watering grass and gardens
● Refrain from washing your vehicles until the plant is operational
● Put off doing laundry for several days if possible
● Only run the dishwasher when it is full
● Limit water used for or during showers and baths
Our residents must take action now to help mitigate the impact this serious situation could have on health care and essential services in our community.
While the water plant shutdown has not directly affected our healthcare organizations and Billings hospitals’ daily operations at this time, water is an essential resource for us. We use it for everything from chillers and boilers for facility operations to patient care, sterilization and food services. Because water supply may be limited until the plant resumes full operation, we are doing all we can to limit water use and conserve as much as possible. This includes work to bring in water tankers with backup water supply, looking at where we can limit large-scale usage and working closely with local officials and community partners to both monitor the situation and bring the water plant back online as soon as possible.
The city plant has backup water supplies in place for times like this, but we must do everything we can to help limit the usage of that supply. Therefore, UHC asks all residents in the area to join us in supporting the city and each other to conserve water. This helps to allow enough time for water levels to recede and for the City of Billings to resume normal operations. At the same time, please put your safety first and make sure you stay well hydrated.
