Minnetrista Declares Water Emergency As Heat Wave Drags On

MINNETRISTA, Minn. (WCCO) — This unusually hot weather is creating a large increase in demand for water. The city of Minnetrista has declared a water emergency.

Residents are encouraged to be more efficient using water inside, and an outdoor water ban means no watering lawns, washing vehicles or filling pools.

The ban went into effect Tuesday.

The city water tower is low and water needs to be reserved for potential fires.

Residents may notice some water discoloration. When the water tower level gets low, the incoming water stirs up the sediment from the bottom of the tank. The discoloration is mainly iron.

One resident had to scramble to protect her plants.

“Basically move them into the shade. That’s basically all we can do,” Jessica Weinberg said. “We can’t water anything, we can’t run the sprinklers, and basically sprinklers are set up to water everything, except for the pots. So, basically do nothing but move them to the shade and keep them cool.”