ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida water utility is asking residents to cut back on their water use in an attempt to conserve a dwindling supply of liquid oxygen, which is needed for water treatment as well as to treat the surge of COVID-19 patients.
“We acknowledge that the No. 1 priority for the liquid oxygen should be for hospitals,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said at a Friday news conference.
Our partners at @OUCreliableone are asking residents and businesses to limit the watering of lawns and washing of cars. Many unvaccinated, critically-ill patients require liquid oxygen (which OUC uses to treat our water) at hospitals and it’s in great demand nationally. pic.twitter.com/bLGtLdmWke
— Mayor Buddy Dyer (@orlandomayor) August 20, 2021
The Orlando Utilities Commission said liquid oxygen is in short supply as increased caseloads of coronavirus patients also need it. The utility typically gets 10 trucks of liquid oxygen a week to clean and treat drinking water. However, that supply will be reduced from five to seven, WFTV reported. The utility has already used about half its supply.
“We were aware of that a couple weeks ago, but we weren’t aware that it was going to be an ongoing concern,” Linda Ferrone, the utility’s chief marketing officer, told WFTV.
WATCH LIVE: #Orlando mayor, OUC issuing call to action due to COVID-19 impacts | Tune in: https://t.co/w3wXcYY4cD pic.twitter.com/jAdRyi1JX8
— WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) August 20, 2021
About 40% of the utility’s potable water is used for irrigation, so officials are urging conservation.
Cities have shut off fountains and reduced potable water irrigation on recreational fields. Residents are asked to cut back on lawn watering, car washing and pressure cleaning.
AdventHealth, one of the area’s largest hospitals, said it had 1,620 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, which is double the caseload during the peak last winter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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