This week’s roasting temperatures truly help underscore the importance of protecting our precious water resources.
Whether you’re soaking the garden to ward off the effects of hot, dry weather or turning filling the pool to cool off, it all drains from the same place – Coal Lake, northeast of Wetaskiwin. Part of the Battle River Watershed, this is also where the city’s drinking water comes from.
With the effects of climate change becoming more apparent, water usage in the summer months has steadily increased. This puts a strain on our water supply and water treatment plant.
As demand for water increases, sustainability initiatives need to keep pace. After all, water is essential for life, and we need to save treated water for human consumption.
Water restrictions ensure Wetaskiwin has enough treated drinking water for everyone during the dry summer months, and help the water treatment plant operate at a consistent level.
The city is currently in Stage 1 Water Restrictions – here’s what that means:
Residential Lawn Watering
- Even-numbered addresses can water on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 4 and 9 a.m.
- Odd-numbered addresses can water on Thursdays and Sundays between 4 and 9 a.m.
Non-Residential Lawn Watering
- Even-numbered addresses can water on Mondays and Thursdays between 1 and 6 a.m.
- Odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays and Fridays between 1 and 6 a.m.
Other residential watering
- Trees, shrubs and plants on both residential and non-residential properties can be watered any day of the week between 4 and 9 a.m. and 8 to 11 p.m. Watering with a spring-loaded shutoff nozzle is permitted at any time.
Vegetable Gardens can be watered at any time
Car, Boat, House, Surface and Power Washing – at any time with a spring-loaded shutoff nozzle
- Even-numbered addresses can wash Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Odd-numbered addresses can wash Thursdays and Sundays
What can you do to be water-wise?
Minimize use of treated drinking water – Water use doubles in the summer due to lawn and garden irrigation. Minimizing your outdoor water use is the single biggest thing you can do in the summer to save our treated drinking water for where it’s needed most: drinking, cooking and cleaning.
Keep our waterways healthy and clean – Whatever goes down the storm drain directly affects water quality. Help protect waterways by ensuring that toxic chemicals and litter don’t go down the drain at home or in the storm sewer.
Need more reasons to conserve water?
Additional positive effects of water conservation include:
- Lowering your water bill
- Reducing repairs required on water infrastructure
- Reducing costs to treat water (i.e. chemicals and energy)
- Reducing the amount of water we need to remove from the lake
To learn more, visit wetaskiwin.ca, call