Ottawa seniors face water restrictions

Cumberland Lodge Health Care Facility

A number of Ottawa seniors in the city's east end have been left dry by the region’s drought.

Residents at the Cumberland Retirement Lodge are being told not to do their laundry, only flush the toilet when necessary and keep bathing to a minimum after their well dried up over the weekend.

“This ain’t funny, people are sick in here," said one resident. "People are dying in here, we are old citizens you know.”

“The other day it was raining really badly; I’m quite serious, we were almost tempted to all grab bars of soap and go out and sit in the rain and wash,” said resident Hazel Martin.

Nursing administrator Tamara Giroux said the conservation measures are necessary until the well is replenished.

“We live in a city that has a million people in it," she said. :If everyone doesn’t conserve water we’re going to be even worse then we are now."

Councillor Stephen Blais dropped off water, paper plates and baby wipes Tuesday afternoon.

“These are some of the most vulnerable seniors in our community," he said. "If we can get them through the next few days until the well gets taken care of or something more permanent, then every little bit will help.”

Residents just hope the real help, a heavy dose of rain, comes soon.

“We’re human beings," one said. "We should be able to flush the toilet.”

With a report from CTV’s Ellen Mauro