Winnipeg water use surged during gold-medal game intermissions

So many Winnipeggers watched the Olympic gold medal men’s hockey game between Canada and the U.S. on Sunday that bathroom breaks aligned, creating sharp surges in water use.

The City of Winnipeg recorded clear spikes in water consumption during the game’s three intermissions, indicating many viewers took bathroom breaks in the same short time periods.

A city release links the spikes in water use to flushing toilets and handwashing.

The game ended in a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss for Canada.

The city says its water and wastewater systems had no trouble keeping up with the demand.