08/29/2026
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is directing residents and businesses in Chatham and several surrounding communities to immediately restrict water use to essential purposes only as the municipal water system experiences significant supply challenges following repairs to the main water transmission line feeding the Chatham Water Treatment Plant.
There is currently no impact to the safety or quality of the drinking water. Water from the system remains safe to drink. These emergency restrictions are temporary and necessary to maintain adequate supplies while the system stabilizes following the repairs.
The emergency severe water restrictions apply to:
• Chatham
• Grande Pointe
• Pain Court
• Dover Centre
• Mitchell’s Bay
• Dresden
• Tupperville
• Eberts
• Jeannette’s Creek
• Thamesville
• Kent Bridge
Residents must immediately restrict water use. Until further notice, residents in the affected communities are directed to use municipal water only for essential purposes, including drinking, brushing teeth and flushing toilets.
Residents are directed to stop other water use, including:
• Showering and bathing
• Doing laundry
• Watering lawns and gardens
• Washing vehicles
• Filling pools or hot tubs
• Other non-essential uses of water
Residents should NOT fill bathtubs, buckets or other containers to store water as a precaution. Doing so would place additional demand on the system, further reduce water pressure and increase the risk of a system-wide pressure loss.
Storage reservoirs are approaching critically low levels and the system is at risk of losing pressure. Reducing consumption immediately will help stabilize the system and provide the time necessary for full water production to resume.
Industrial, commercial and institutional water customers are also being contacted directly and asked to significantly restrict their water consumption. Some large water users are shutting down or rescheduling production and other activities that require significant volumes of water.
Businesses whose operations involve significant water consumption, including car washes, dog washes and laundromats, are being asked to voluntarily close for the day. Restaurants and other significant commercial water users are also being asked to reduce or cease water-intensive operations wherever possible to help preserve the municipal water supply and maintain system pressure.
The Municipality is also shutting down municipal operations that require significant water use in the impacted communities, including splash pads, arenas and municipal pools.
These restrictions are intended to be a short-term measure while the water system stabilizes following the transmission line repairs.
Residents and businesses are asked to take these restrictions seriously and reduce their water consumption immediately. The collective reduction in water use will help protect the system and reduce the likelihood of a complete loss of water pressure.
The Municipality will continue to monitor the system closely and will provide updates as additional information becomes available. Residents should continue following the emergency severe water restrictions until the Municipality advises that they have been lifted.
