06/09/2026
As has been publicised on social media: By order of the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), residents are asked to use city water ONLY for flushing toilets until further notice. (Big Thank you to
Grand Forks Public Health Department for getting this out before I could, and helping our community!)
A massive water line break outside of town has caused a significant loss of pressure in the water system. The line that broke is the main line that feeds the City of Emerado, which was installed over 70 years ago, and the City has been working on plans to get this line replaced prior to this break. The break obviously happened before the replacement could happen.
Repair crews have been on scene, but the sand and silt-based soil continues to collapse into the excavation, preventing repairs until specialized trench shoring equipment arrives. The shoring equipment will be on site as soon as possible, with further repair work being done tomorrow (9/10/26). We do not have a timeline of when the repair will be complete, as it is dependent on weather, soil conditions, and the arrival of equipment. Again, this is a large, bad break.
We have been told that this order is being issued as a precautionary measure to protect public health while repairs are completed and the water system can be evaluated. We do not have a timeline as to when the water will be determined safe or unsafe.
LIMITED AMOUNTS of bottled water has arrived and is available at the Emerado Fire Department. More is coming, but it is being rationed.
Please watch for additional updates. Another notice will be issued as soon as more information becomes available.
We assure you, the City is working on this, and doing everything we can to get this resolved as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
For further questions, please call 701-213-7649.
