Grand River calls for cuts to water use
October 01, 2007
The Hamilton Spectator
(Oct 1, 2007)
The Grand River Low Water Response Team, which includes municipalities, businesses and Six Nations, is asking users throughout the watershed to voluntarily cut their consumption by 20 per cent.
The persistent hot, dry weather has left low flows in many of the rivers and streams in the Grand River system. Last week, members of the response team declared the watershed to be in a Level 2 condition. A report showed that rainfall throughout most of the watershed has been half of normal during the past three months. Water stored in the Grand River Conservation Authority's major reservoirs has also fallen below normal levels for this time of year.
If dry conditions continue, the GRCA may reduce the amount of water it releases from the reservoirs on a daily basis by about 15 per cent. During a Level 2, the Ministry of the Environment sends letters to everyone permitted to take more than 50,000 litres of water a day out of a river, stream, pond, or well and asks them to voluntarily cut use.