More than a dozen porta-potties have appeared on the streets of Provincetown as officials in the popular Massachusetts tourist destination Friday are ordering restaurants to stay closed and for people to drastically cut back on water use because of an ongoing "sewer emergency."
The town on the tip of Cape Cod first warned locals and visitors of the troubles on Tuesday, writing on Facebook that a central vacuum station that runs its downtown sewer system was having electrical issues following a thunderstorm. Hours later, the system wasn’t operating properly because of a lack of pressure, Jim Vincent, Provincetown’s public works director, told the Cape Cod Times.
As of midday Friday, more than 500 properties remain impacted, according to a list being maintained by the local government.
"Any restaurant or food service business in this service area needs to remain closed, except for the sale of prepackaged, ready-to-eat food," the Town of Provincetown said in a Facebook post. "Any residential property on this system must reduce water use, including dishwashing, laundry, showering, and only flushing when absolutely necessary."
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Overnight, the town said crews "spent considerable time getting the vacuum line on Bradford Street up and running," however, "more work is to be done and the sewer emergency for properties on the vacuum sewer system is still in place at this time."
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Earlier in the week, Provincetown told residents, tourists and business owners that "you must stop doing anything that adds waste to the system" as "by doing these functions you may create a backup into your property.
In the meantime, Provincetown says porta-potties are available for use near the town hall.
The sewage system crisis comes during peak tourism season in Cape Cod and just days before Provincetown’s annual Carnival festival draws even larger crowds to the area.
"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," the town said Friday.
