The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has increased its “low water condition” advisories for two Ottawa-area river watersheds, city council was advised on Friday.
A memo to Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and city councillors from Tammy Rose, general manager of Infrastructure and Water Services, said the MVCA had declared a Level 3 low water condition within the Carp River watershed, up from a Level 2 advisory issued on Aug. 6. In addition, MVCA escalated the Mississippi River watershed advisory to Level 2 after pegging it at Level 1 on Aug. 11.
A Level 3 low water condition is declared when rainfall is less than 40 per cent of historical averages and/or stream flows are less than 30 per cent of their normal summer low flows, Rose’s memo explained, adding that a Level 3 low water condition is not a declaration of an emergency, but rather an indicator of significant dry conditions and impacts across the watershed.
The Carp River watershed includes portions of several municipal wards: Kanata North; West Carleton-March; Stittsville; Rideau-Jock; and Kanata South.
Rose’s memo also said the current low water conditions were only impacting residents who received their drinking water via private drinking water systems, such as groundwater wells.
Residents and businesses using those systems are encouraged to reduce overall water use and to suspend non-essential water activities until conservation authorities issue a notification that natural supplies have recovered, the memo said. Those with permits to take water are also encouraged to reduce withdrawals.
Rose said the city would review and potentially modify irrigation operations supplied by city wells within the Carp and Mississippi river watersheds to reduce well water use.
Residents with dry wells requiring water to fill containers can access City of Ottawa arenas and community centres during regular operating hours, the memo said. Those needing access to shower facilities can go to municipal pools during operating hours; there is an online list of
facilities and schedules.
The city’s central drinking water system is not impacted by the current low water conditions, Rose’s memo said, with drinking water treatment facilities at Lemieux and Britannia drawing less than one per cent of the Ottawa River’s flow.
As well, the city’s six communal well systems have not experienced water capacity constraints thus far, but, to support the recommendations of local conservation authorities, it recommended that residents of Carp, Munster, Richmond, Greely and Vars follow the recommended water conservation measures.
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