Residents of the mountain town of Victor, Colorado have been told not to use water until further notice.

Per reporting from The Gazette’s O’Dell Isaac, the order for citizens to not use water stems from issues that occurred during recent efforts to replace a more than 50-year-old water main, with a section of the water line becoming dislodged during excavation.

On May 10, a local disaster emergency was declared, which indicated that while the water line break has been repaired, the issue caused the city’s water treatment and delivery system to cease functioning properly.

“After four days of continuous work on the system […] the city is still unable to deliver sufficient water to its citizens and businesses,” reads the declaration. “The city has issued a ‘boil-water’ order to protect the health and safety of its water users.”

At this time, the disaster emergency is set to be in place through May 17, unless extended by action of the city council. A key reason for the disaster emergency is to seek financial and expert assistance from the State of Colorado.

A press release cited in the Gazette report stated: “Even if your property currently has water pressure, you must stop all water use immediately. The system cannot recover if demand continues to exceed production and storage capacity. Every gallon used delays restoration for your neighbors and the community as a whole.”

Per the Gazette report, water for drinking and cooking is available at the Victor Fire House, with showers available at the Aspen Mine Center and the Parks and Recreation Building.

The city of Victor is found at 9,708 feet of elevation. It’s located beneath Pikes Peak and near Cripple Creek. The population of the town is just less than 400.

One place where updates may be found is the City of Victor website.

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