City officiCity officials are asking residents to conserve water after a pipe break at the Bismarck Water Treatment Plant.

Specifically, residents of Bismarck and Lincoln and customers of the South Central Regional Water District are being asked to refrain from "any unnecessary outdoor use of water" until this morning.

The conservation is voluntary and not in any way being enforced by the city.

Keith Demke, director of utility operations for the city, said the pipe broke around 8 p.m. Monday. City crews worked throughout the night to get it fixed and had it repaired between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Tuesday.

However, because it was out overnight, and because water usage is high during the summer, the break still caused problems. City officials asked to extend the conservation request in an effort to catch up with filling water into the reservoir.

"You could see from the levels in the reservoir that we are going to need a little help to get it back up," Demke said.

- Jonathan Rivoli