Pilley's Island declares state of emergency, expected to run out of water

A small town in Green Bay, Newfoundland has declared a state of emergency.

Pilley's Island mayor Dennis Vincent said the town will run out of water overnight Tuesday due to a problem with the main valve in the water pump system.

The town had water stored in a tower, but it was not entirely full when the problem with the valve was discovered Tuesday morning.

"Right now, we don't know if it's good for two hours or six hours," Vincent said.

He said the issue with the valve developed unexpectedly. However there had been some problems with the town's pumphouse over the past month as a result of a chlorine leak. 

"I would just like to remind residents to conserve as much as possible," said Vincent.

"And considering the shortage of water, even though other towns have been alerted for water protection, be especially careful with fire."

A replacement part is expected to arrive from St. John's Wednesday morning.

The town said there's no change in water quality, and said residents can expect the issue to be fixed by midday Wednesday after the part arrives.

The state of emergency will remain in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday, when the town will meet to decide what will happen next. 

No additional or bottled water is being made available for residents.