Drought conditions continue in the capital
Posted Jul 11, 2012 10:21:26 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA, Ont. – Dry, arid conditions are continuing in the capital region and the level one drought rating in effect from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority may soon become a level two.
The threat level can be raised from a level one to two if rain fall over 30 days is 60 per cent or less than normal precipitation, or if it’s been a significant number of week since a large rainfall.
“The region is currently meeting both criteria”, said Bruce Reid with the RVCA. “The last rainfall that we had in Ottawa was back on the 23 and 24 of June, amounting to maybe 15 millimetres total.”
Bruce told 1310News that Ottawa has received 30 millimetres of rain at the airport over the last month, which is less than a third the normal amount.
The Water Response Team will hold a teleconference meeting on Friday to discuss the drought rating. The team is made up of the RVCA, agencies and municipalities in the watershed.
The move to level two would likely happen Friday afternoon. That would mean a call from the RVCA for residents to reduce water consumption by 20 per cent.
