Provincetown sewer emergency continues, but restrictions on flushing and showering ‘making a difference’
By Gabe Swartz
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PROVINCETOWN (WBZ) — A sewer emergency in Provincetown continued Friday morning, but the town manager says repairs are “moving in the right direction.”
“We are hopeful that we are getting closer to full restoration, but we can’t say for sure until every part of the system has been addressed,” Town Manager Alex Morse said.
The emergency declaration for those using the vacuum sewer system came Thursday morning, during the busy tourist season. It impacts mostly properties on Commercial and Bradford streets; click here for a list of affected addresses.
Restaurants and food service businesses in the area have been ordered to close, and affected residents are being told to reduce water use, “including dishwashing, laundry, showering, and only flushing when absolutely necessary.”
“Thank you again to everyone who is cooperating with the restrictions. . . it is making a difference,” Morse said.
Public restrooms are closed in Provincetown again on Friday. Portable toilets are available on Ryder Street next to the town hall.
Next week is the Carnival celebration, which attracts tens of thousands to Provincetown.
“I know it’s a hard ask and a difficult time of the year, but if we can limit it to up to two days and ahead of Carnival, that’s a better outcome letting these guys get in the streets and make these repairs than having to shut down for the next week,” the Provincetown Health Department’s Lezli Rowell said.
Dark dining rooms and closed kitchens are a nightmare for restaurant owners counting on a classic Cape summer.
“For two years, we had to deal with the COVID thing,” said Steven Schnitzer who owns JDs. He’s worried about two dozen employees and the fresh seafood he wants to sell.
“You have basically 10 Saturdays in the summer which are your best days,” Schnitzer said. “You lose a Saturday, you’re really, really, in trouble.”
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