Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Two New Brunswick cities are considering opposite approaches when it comes to residential water meters. Bathurst in the northeast has meters but is considering switching to a flat-rate model based on the cost to update its system. Dieppe in the southeast charges a flat rate but will test meters in several hundred homes next year. Meters measure water usage, billing customers at a rate set by the community.
Water usage in the District of Port Hardy has shot up since water conservation restrictions came into effect, according to Mayor Pat Corbett-Labatt. Last Wednesday, Port Hardy was placed under Stage 3 water restrictions. But since then, water usage has increased by 20 per cent. It comes as much of B.C. faces drought.
A water shortage has caused the City of Brooks and surrounding area to be put under water rationing. The Eastern Irrigation District (EID) has reported a significant drop in river levels, six to eight weeks earlier than usual due to low snowpack and early snowmelt in the region. In turn, the EID has initiated Stage 3 of their Drought Plan, limiting water usage to two-thirds of normal for residents and businesses in Brooks.
July 19th, 2022, was the high water mark for West Nipissing residents’ water usage. On that day, 6,764 cubic meters, which is about 7.7 million liters flowing at 8,034 liters per minute, was used. May, June and July are the months with the highest daily average of treated water use. For example, in July, 7,358 cubic meters is treated daily. In October, that number falls to 3,530 cubic meters.
Metro Vancouver is warning its residents and businesses that water usage for lawns will be restricted beginning next month. Starting May 1, seasonal regulations that limit lawn watering to once per week will come into effect in an effort to conserve the region’s drinking water for the coming hot and dry months. “We are increasingly seeing variable weather patterns due to climate change, and we can’t always count on rainfall to replenish our water supply when we need it,” said George V. Harvie, Metro Vancouver board of directors chair.
Manitoba Hydro is reducing its request for rate increases for the next two years and is crediting a recent provincial government fee reduction. Earlier this month, the Crown-owned utility said it would ask the provincial regulator, the Public Utilities Board, for rate hikes of 3.5 per cent in each of the next two years. The utility said Tuesday it is revising that request to two per cent in each year.
Starting this month, over 2,500 Detroit residents will see lower water rates as a new affordability plan takes effect, the Detroit Free Press reports. The plan offers low-income residents a fixed monthly water rate, calculated based on a resident’s income and water usage. Four thousand more households are on the program’s waiting list. This month also sees a new rate structure in Detroit, which lowered most water bills by $2. The city’s moratorium on water shutoffs, enacted more than two years ago, is set to expire at the end of 2022, though officials say that households enrolled in the affordability program will not be affected.
Water usage on Monday was up 20% from Sunday. The water treatment plants are operating at slightly below full capacity. We will be monitoring water demand closely this week as forecasted temperatures rise and anticipate it could be close to peak availability. Alternate water sources continue to be available for the farm, industrial, and residential. Please contact your municipality for additional fill stations not listed below.
According to Zurn Canada, clean water shortages are a global crisis, and the average Canadian uses approximately 250 litres of water per day through flushing toilets, showering, drinking and cleaning, but according to a 2018 study, this makes up less than 15 per cent of Canada’s water usage; industrial properties and public facility plumbing accounts for more of the used water.
A dry fall, winter and now spring have taken a toll in southern Manitoba, where the City of Morden says it is experiencing a severe drought and imploring people to conserve water. The current level of Lake Minnewasta, the source of Morden's water, is nearly seven feet (just over two metres) below the full supply level, the city said in a notice posted on its website. Mayor Brandon Burley said levels that low have not been seen in the city, roughly 100 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg, since 1983. "In terms of recent history, it's unprecedented," he said, noting islands are "popping out" of Lake Minnewasta.
The City of Cambridge is installing new technology in 1,200 homes in west Preson and west Galt to better monitor water usage. Water meters will be retrofitted so city staff can read meter data remotely, and people can track their daily water usage online. City officials say that will also help them quickly identify possible leaks or flow issues.
