Lake Simcoe residents and businesses are asked to use less water
COURTNEY McCLURE, for The Standard
NORTH DURHAM: As of Monday, June 7th, 2021, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) has recommended residents and businesses in the Region reduce their water consumption.
According to a Facebook post by the Conservation Authority, this announcement was put out because the Lake Simcoe area didn’t get a lot of rain during the spring. This lack of rainfall has contributed to early, drought-like conditions within the Region.
According to Ken Cheney, the Director of Engineering at the Conservation Authority, lack of rainfall may strain the Simcoe Region’s municipal water supply. As a result, residents may notice lower water levels in streams and rivers within the Region.
Mr. Cheney said, the Conservation Authority is encouraging residents to start conserving water. This applies to businesses, aggregate operations, golf courses, farms and residents who use water bottles.
Residents and businesses are asked to follow municipal outdoor water use bylaws. They are also asked to limit watering to specific days and times.
For more information about water conservation, residents are directed to visit the municipality’s website to find resources provided by the Province of Ontario Ministry website.
You can access the website at www.Ontario.ca and then type “drought” into the search menu to find water usage guidelines. This website is also linked to LSRCA’s website. The press release is titled Drought Conditions Statement and was released on June 7th, 2021.
Here are some conservation safety tips if your Region or Municipality experiences a drought. Homeowners should repair leaks in taps and toilets, and install low water consumption toilets, dishwashers, and other appliances which use water.
Make sure to follow your municipality’s water-use restrictions. For example, some Municipality’s may put a limit on as to when you can water your lawn, wash your car, or even fill a wading pool.
For farmers, safety tips include, checking your irrigation systems often because they may have leaks, and avoiding irrigating during windy conditions when weather is cooler and there’s less water evaporation. Irrigation during the evening or later in the day, is recommended along with using rain gauges to measure how much water crops are getting.