KITCHENER -- The Grand River Conservation Authority is asking water users throughout the watershed to continue to reduce their consumption by 10 per cent until conditions improve.
According to a news release, groundwater and river base flow levels are still low due to the extremely dry spring, despite higher than normal precipitation across much of the Grand River watershed in June and July.
The authority said there is reduced stream flows in a number of tributaries throughout the watershed. The authority said it is using large upstream reservoirs to augment river flows in order to maintain low flow targets on the Grand and Speed Rivers.
The Grand River Low Water Response Team, made up of farmers, golf course operators, water bottlers, aggregate businesses and other major water users, decided to keep the entire watershed at Level 1 under the Ontario Low Water Response Program until pressure on the system eases this fall.
According to the release, Level 1 results in a request for a voluntary 10 per cent reduction in water consumption by all water users.
The authority said the most effective thing residents can do is follow their municipal outdoor water use bylaws, which limit watering to specific days and times.
Currently, the large reservoirs are within their normal operating range, but the authority said water levels could drop is more discharges are needed.
According to the authority, it uses upstream reservoirs for more than 80 per cent of the flow in the Grand River in the summer. It said that work helps municipalities get some, or all of their drinking water.
