The Grand River watershed is running low, to the point where the people who oversee it are asking all water users to try and make do with less.

The Grand River Conservation Authority said Wednesday that is has placed the entire watershed under a Level 1 low water response, meaning that all water users – including private citizens – are being asked reduce their consumption by 10 per cent.

For private citizens, officials recommend the best way to cut consumption being to follow municipal bylaws for lawn-watering and other outdoor water use.

According to the GRCA, water levels in some parts of the watershed are low enough that water is being discharged from reservoirs just to keep the water flow meeting minimum targets.

It is estimate that 80 per cent of the river’s flow through Kitchener and 70 per cent of the flow through Guelph is water discharged from the reservoirs.