Water conservation plan presented at City of Lethbridge meeting

Officials say reservoir levels are “well below normal” and the province remains in water shortage management stage four out of five. The provincial government’s drought website offers updated information on conditions.

The City says some of the work being done to improve water usage include installing more water-efficient fixtures in public buildings and centralizing irrigation controls.

“This Water Conservation Plan and Strategy addresses a lot of what we heard in the survey,” says Manager of Engineering and Environment Mark Svenson.

“We’ve designed voluntary, economic, and regulatory measures to create long-term changes in water usage behaviour. This will benefit residents and the environment for years to come”.

An economic measure is incentives and rebates for items like rain barrels, water-efficient toilets and xeriscaping. This involves landscaping that reduces, or even eliminates, the need for irrigation. The City says the availability of incentives and rebates would depend on future funding.

SCALED WATER RATES

Another economic proposal is scaling water rates, with officials saying residents that use more water would pay higher rates. The rates are designed to minimize the financial impacts on average consumers, while the scales provide a choice in summer watering practices. The City says efficient water use will lead to lower bills.

“Other municipalities have scaled water rates. They have been successful in changing and managing water consumption behaviour,” states Director of Infrastructure Services Joel Sanchez.

“Even with the adjusted rates, Lethbridge would remain among the lowest in Alberta and the lower percentile among municipalities in Canada.”

Officials note the proposed rate changes would not impact 74 per cent of current residential users. Pricing changes are also suggested for the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector. The City states the changes would not affect over 90 per cent of current ICI users.

The updated WRAP lays out immediate actions to reduce water usage when there is a low supply. The document would include:

Triggers to identify each stage
Updated reduction targets
Updated penalties for non-compliance

Officials say any suggested changes to the Water Bylaw (Bylaw 3999) from the updated Water Rationing Action Plan will go to city council in the coming months. The City says these changes relate to the updated stages and potential fines included in the plan.

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by Justin Goulet

Water conservation plan presented at City of Lethbridge meeting

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