Orlando urges residents to cut water usage amid liquid oxygen shortage as Covid surges in Florida

Use of liquid oxygen in hospitals has rocketed to treat sharp increase in patients

Residents of Orlando, Florida are facing several weeks of water cutbacks due to a shortage of liquid oxygen, which is used to treat the city’s water.

The shortage has been triggered by the Covid pandemic, as hospitals treating the current wave of infected patients with liquid oxygen has left a shortfall.

Orlando Utilities Commission said it expected to receive as little as half as much liquid oxygen in the coming weeks than is usually needed to remove odours and colour from the water supply.

The utility company, which provides water services to about half a million people in Orlando as well as unincorporated Orange County, was forced to ask its customers to cut back on their water usage immediately.

Those without reclaimed water systems were asked to limit watering their lawns and all customers were requested to stop washing their cars and performing non-critical activities such as pressure washing.

In a statement released on the company’s website, OUC said lawn and landscaping irrigation accounts for about 40 per cent of its consumption and they need to reduce that in the coming days to help conserve its liquid oxygen supply.

It continued: “If OUC’s liquid oxygen supplies continue to be depleted and water usage isn’t reduced, water quality may be impacted. But, we believe that will not happen if everyone does their part to conserve water.”

The company said its liquid oxygen supply comes from a single local vendor, and the utility has already tapped into its reserves. It usually consumes 10 tankers of liquid oxygen each week to maintain water quality.

Liquid oxygen removes hydrogen sulfide from the water, a gas that gives it a strong rotten egg smell if not removed.