Water conservation urged throughout the Grand River watershed

Water users throughout the Grand River watershed are being asked to cut their consumption by 10 per cent, due to dry conditions as a result of low precipitation and high air temperatures this summer.

Low and variable rainfall since June has contributed to reduced stream flows in several tributaries throughout the watershed, and the Grand River Conservation Authority is using its large upstream reservoirs to augment river flows to maintain low flow targets downstream.

The call for the reduction came from the Grand River Low Water Response Team, which held a virtual meeting on Thursday, August 21. The team is made up of representatives of major water users including municipalities, farmers, golf course operators, aggregate businesses and others.

The Low Water Response Team decided to place the entire watershed at Level 1 under the Ontario Low Water Response Program.

Level 1 results in a request for a voluntary 10 per cent reduction in water consumption by all water users, including municipalities, aggregate operations, golf courses, water bottlers, farms for irrigation and private users. For watershed residents, the best immediate action is to follow their municipal outdoor water use bylaws, which limit watering to specific days and times.

The GRCA’s large reservoirs are within their normal operating range for this time of year, except Conestogo Lake reservoir, which is being drawn down to accommodate concrete repair on the upstream side of the Conestogo Dam. The GRCA is operating these reservoirs carefully to meet flow targets downstream, while keeping water in storage to continue to support flow augmentation. This augmentation helps municipalities that get some, or all, of their drinking water from the Grand River including the Region of Waterloo and the City of Brantford. Six Nations of the Grand River also gets some of its drinking water from the Grand River. Water from these reservoirs also supports the proper operation of sixteen wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the Grand, Speed and Conestogo rivers. The conditions of the reservoirs are being closely monitored.

More information on the Ontario Low Water Response Program is available on the GRCA website.

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Media Contacts:

Lisa Stocco, GRCA Director of Strategic Communications and Environmental Education
Phone 519-621-2763 x2316  |  Email lstocco@grandriver.ca

Serena Catania, GRCA Supervisor of Communications and Marketing
Phone (519) 621-2763 x2240  |  Email scatania@grandriver.ca