Severe low water status issued for Carp River watershed

Despite a drop in temperatures, the hot and dry summer is proving hard to recover from.

The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) has increased the low watershed status for the Carp River watershed from Level 2 to Level 3. Status is now said to be severe.

“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,” a memo from the MVCA to the City of Ottawa states. “A Level 3 low water condition is not a declaration of an emergency, but an indicator of significant dry conditions and impacts observed across the watershed.”

The declaration comes at the end of a particularly parched summer. According to Environment Canada, Ottawa received just 48.2 mm of rain over the month of August, well below the 79 mm average, making it the city’s driest August in 23 years.

The Carp River watershed contains parts of five Ottawa wards in the city’s west end.

Impacts for well users

Impacts from current conditions will be limited to those getting water from private wells.

The City of Ottawa has said it will review and potentially modify irrigation operations supplied by city wells within the watershed to reduce water use.

As for private wells, neither the city nor the conservation authority has the authority to enforced reduced personal water use. However, the MVCA is encouraging residents to reduce use by 50 per cent.

Easy ways to reduce water use include using rain barrels for watering lawns and gardens and avoiding the use of pressure washers on houses, driveways, decks and fences.

The City is putting up signs in Kanata North, West Carleton-March, Stittsville, Rideau-Jock and Kanata South wards to remind residents of the watershed status.

Residents with dry wells are able to fill containers at City of Ottawa arenas and community centres during regular operating hours.

Municipal drinking water system

Current conditions are not impacting the city’s municipal drinking water system. The city says its two drinking water treatment facilities draw less than one per cent of the Ottawa River’s flow, meaning there is ample raw water supply.

The city has six communal wells systems in the communities of Carp, Munster, Richmond, Greely and Vars. The city is asking residents in these communities to follow the recommended conservation measures of the conservations authorities.

The city says it is in constant communication with the conservation authorities should it need to reassess water supply.

The status for the Mississippi River watershed has also been increased from Level 1 to Level 2.