Northern residents urged to conserve water

Due to extremely warm and dry conditions, the province has set a Level 3 drought for the Peace, Upper Fraser East and Upper Fraser West areas.

This level of drought calls for voluntary water-use reductions from all surface-water and groundwater users including municipal, agricultural and industrial users.

Stream levels across much of the North have dropped rapidly due to the recent dry weather. While some larger rivers still show a normal amount of water, their tributaries have dropped to concerning levels for the fish and ecosystems.

If voluntary reductions of water are not sufficient enough, the ministry may consider regulating water usage under the Water Sustainability Act. Those actions could include the temporary suspension of water licenses or short-term water approvals to restore flows to minim critical levels in affected streams.

Tips to conserve water at home include:

• Limiting outdoor watering.
• not watering during the heat of the day or when it’s windy.
• Considering planting drought-tolerant vegetation.
• Taking shorter showers.
• Not leaving the tap running (i.e. while brushing teeth).
• Installing water-efficient showerheads, taps and toilets.
• Implementing an irrigation scheduling program using real-time weather data.
• Scheduling irrigation to match crop needs and soil storage capacity.
• Improving water system efficiencies and check for leaks.
• Focusing on high-value crops and livestock.

Click here to read more about drought information.