Halifax Water says it will impose mandatory water conservation measures sometime this week due to low water levels.
Violations of the mandatory measures could mean fines or even loss of water service, according to the utility.
Halifax Water spokesperson Brittany Smith said water levels in Lake Major and Pockwock Lake haven’t improved despite some recent rain. She said mandatory restrictions would be coming “in the upcoming days.”
“Our team will be looking at how much water fell over the weekend and then, based on those levels, will be making announcements,” Smith told Information Morning Nova Scotia on Monday.
Halifax Water issued a voluntary water conservation notice early last month, asking residents to shorten showers, wash full loads of laundry only, turn off the tap when it’s not in use and not to flush urine. It also asked people to limit activities like watering lawns, washing vehicles and filling pools.
On Aug. 28, the utility said it had not seen a significant decrease in demand, and urged residents to conserve water or face the prospect of mandatory restrictions.
Smith said the lack of uptake by the public, combined with less snowfall last winter and an extremely dry summer, has prompted the need to make restrictions mandatory.
She said Halifax Water has seen people washing cars and watering lawns. Some customers have also been calling to say that they have seen the same kind of activities.
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Smith said all the voluntary restrictions will become mandatory.
She said the utility is working with the municipality to determine how the measures will be enforced. She said fines are possible, and turning off someone’s water could happen, but only as a last resort.
“We’re hoping that when it becomes mandatory that people will really start to pay attention a little bit more,” said Smith.
“Maybe people were distracted with summer vacations and different things happening over the summer, but now we really need to put in these restrictions in order to continue to be able to serve our customers.”
Smith said it would take several days of hard rain to help bring water levels back up at Lake Major and Pockwock Lake.