WELLINGTON COUNTY – Despite recent rain, Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) officials are urging area residents to continue reducing water consumption by 20 per cent.
“While recent rains may have helped lawns and gardens, they have done very little for river flows and reservoir levels in the Grand River watershed,” states a Sept. 14 press release from the authority.
“An unusually dry summer has contributed to reduced stream flows across the watershed, and the [GRCA] continues to use large upstream reservoirs to augment river flows in order to maintain low flow targets on the Grand and Speed rivers.”
Officials say the GRCA is operating reservoirs carefully “to support the proper operation of about 30 wastewater treatment plants throughout the watershed.”
During dry summer months, more than 80% of the flow in the Grand River comes from upstream reservoirs, helping communities that get some or all of their drinking water from the Grand River, including Waterloo Region, Brantford and Six Nations.
The reminder to stay vigilant with water use reductions comes from the Grand River Low Water Response Team.
In a virtual meeting late last week, members agreed to keep the entire watershed in Level 2 under the Ontario Low Water Response Program “until pressure on the system eases this fall.”
The team is made up of representatives of major water users, including municipalities, farmers, golf course operators, water bottlers, aggregate businesses and others.
