Red Alert. City Water Issues Troublesome

In case you haven't noticed, we haven't had a serious rain in a while, this afternoon's thunderstorm notwithstanding. But by my reckoning it rained a mere 20 minutes or so, which is not nearly enough considering its been weeks without a significant rainfall. On cue, the city has sent out the following warning. You see, no rain means less water - for everything. So to the idiots who live up the road from me who water their lawns and then brazenly leave their sprinklers out as if daring anyone to call on their selfish desire for green grass, you've been warned. 

Dry Conditions May Affect Nestle Operations

The Guelph Mercury is reporting that Nestle's bottled water operations in Aberfoyle may be stymied if drought-like conditions persist. It's been over a month now since our area has seen any significant rainfall, and Nestle and other companies with permits to take water maybe asked to cut the amounts their allowed to take out of the water shed if conditions don't change sometime soon.

Has such a thin happened before? Glad you asked. In 2007, during another irregularly dry period, Nestle was asked to cut back on their pumping rates by 20 per cent, a condition to which they complied. Nestle is allowed to pump 2,500 litres per minute from the Mill Creek sub-watershed, which represents 3.2 per cent of all water drawn by permitted users of Mill Creek water.Water levels have been dropping for the last little while, and the Grand River Conservation Authority sent out a warning to residents last week, asking them to help conserve water throughout this dry, hot weather.

The Grand River Low Water Response Team will meet on Wednesday to go over updated flow information for tributaries like the Eramosa River and Mill Creek.

GRCA Says Conserve Your Water

The Grand River Conservation Authority is warningeveryone to be careful in their use of water. But really, after a solid week of summer heat wave and the fact we haven't had a real rain in over a month does this press release come as a surprise? I thought not.

GUELPH, ON, July 22, 2011—The City of Guelph and other Grand River watershed communities are asked to limit outdoor water use following a meeting of the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) Low Water Response Team.

The City’s Outside Water Use Program (OWUP) is currently in Level 0 – Blue, which stipulates careful water use. However, if hot and dry weather persists and local river levels decrease, the City—along with others in the watershed—may need to implement increased outside water use restrictions until watershed conditions recover. For Guelph, that would move the city into Level 1 - Yellow of its Outside Water Use Program.

Right now, under OWUP Level 0 – Blue, alternate day and time lawn watering restrictions are in place, meaning that odd numbered addresses may water on odd numbered days, and even numbered addresses on even numbered days—only between 7 - 9 a.m. and 7 - 9 p.m.

A yellow lawn is not a dead lawn; it is a sign that grass has become dormant. Until conditions return to normal, watering dormant grass will not bring it back to health. Residents are asked to use water wisely. A reduction in non-essential outside water use will make more of Guelph’s limited groundwater supply available for critical uses.

For information about the Grand River Conservation Authority, visit www.grandriver.ca. Details regarding Guelph’s Outside Water Use Program and Current Conditions Reports are available at guelph.ca/water.