The City of St. John's says levels in the region's water resevoirs have returned to normal and that households and businesses may now use water as usual.

The city had pleaded with area residents on Thursday and Friday to restrict usage to emergency and essential purposes, while avoiding discretionary use, such as bathing and laundry.

This was because of an accident at the Bay Bulls Big Pond Water Treatment Plant Thursday afternoon involving a welder who was injured when he received an electrical shock by making contact with equipment.

The incident cut off the main power supply to the treatment plant in the south end of St. John's, rendering it unable to pump water to reservoirs around the region.

Mayor Dennis O'Keefe admitted the situation was a close call. (CBC)

Mayor Dennis O'Keefe was grateful to the community for its effort in rationing water use.

“We would like to thank residents, businesses and our regional and emergency partners for their support throughout this incident,” said Mayor Dennis O’Keefe, in a written statement.

“We were very fortunate that because of the rationing of water, we were able to keep the system operating as we re-established power to the plant and resumed water production operations."

O'Keefe admitted the situation on Thursday had been nervewracking.

"The only water that we had was the water that was in the system in the pipes and in the reservoirs," O'Keefe said.

"What was in the system probably would have lasted five to six hours, and then we literally would have been without water."