The South Nation Conservation Authority (SNCA) has declared a Level 3 low water advisory — the most serious advisory it issues — for its jurisdiction in eastern Ontario, including parts of Ottawa.
“Level 3 conditions indicate that water supply no longer meets demand in certain regions and ongoing drought conditions are putting increased pressure on surface and groundwater supplies,” the authority wrote in a news release Tuesday.
It asked that residents reduce their water consumption and stop using water when not absolutely necessary.
The SNCA’s jurisdiction includes parts of eastern Ottawa as well as Clarence-Rockland, The Nation, Russel and other eastern Ontario municipalities.
A map of the South Nation Conservation Authority’s watershed and jurisdiction. (South Nation Conservation)
When the SNCA declared a Level 2 low water advisory, Ottawa’s city manager Wendy Stephanson wrote in a memo that, though Ottawa’s central drinking water system was not impacted by low water levels, the following communities should follow local water conservation measures “out of an abundance of caution.”
Carp. Munster. Richmond. Greely. Vars.
Last week, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority also declared a Level 3 low water advisory.
The low water levels are due to below-average rainfall in eastern Ontario.
The SNCA reported its jurisdiction has seen 20 per cent less rain than is usual at this time of year. It also noted that Environment Canada predicts the area will get six to eight millimetres of rain on Thursday, but that amount won’t be enough to replenish the watershed.
The International Joint Commission, a Canada-U.S. body that monitors shared waterways, also reported dry conditions last week in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, noting “the last time water levels were this low in the lower St. Lawrence River in mid-August was 2012.”