Area residents asked to voluntarily reduce water consumption
A level two Low Water Advisory is in effect for the North Bay-Mattawa watershed.
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) says it’s an upgrade from the Level 1 conditions confirmed last month and indicates a potentially serious water supply problem, based on precipitation and streamflow criteria.
“Streamflow across the watershed has continued to be low and over the past three months, only 56% of normal rainfall has been recorded with August and September being particularly dry,” says Angela Mills, NBMCA Duty Officer. “Local stream gauges are reporting flow between 5% and 49% of normal for the month of September and conditions through October will need to be wetter than normal before low water conditions could end.”
Due to the lack of rainfall and low water levels across the watershed, all residents are encouraged to voluntarily reduce their water consumption, targeting an overall water usage reduction of 20%.
Officials say all municipal water intakes within NBMCA jurisdiction were determined to have a low level of risk; however, having low water conditions heading into winter is potentially a concern.
Private water systems were not assessed.
Boaters are encouraged to exercise additional caution in areas with low water.
The Conservation Authority continues to monitor the situation and will provide updates as needed.
Richard Coffin has been a reporter and news anchor on the radio in North Bay for over 25 years. From premiers to people in the neighbourhood, he enjoys connecting with newsmakers and writing stories that matter to area listeners on a variety of topics including healthcare, education, politics, sports and more.
