Since May, it has been very dry with above normal temperatures in the Grand River watershed. Due to the dry conditions, the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA), in communication with municipal water managers, has determined it is necessary to reduce the release of water from its large reservoirs so that the reservoirs can continue to meet the needs of those downstream.
Conservation of water in the large reservoirs will not only provide for winter flow augmentation, but will also help protect the in-reservoir fishery and ensure that water levels remain above the operational constraints of the dams. These reduced flow targets will be returned to normal once storage in the large reservoirs is back within a normal operating range.
Based on current discharge reductions, the GRCA does not anticipate issues with municipal takings or with wastewater assimilation. That said, low flow targets may not always be met during periods with low precipitation.
The GRCA will consult with municipal water managers if there is a need for further reductions in reservoir discharges, and will continue to work with municipalities in the watershed to ensure that the effluent coming out of the wastewater treatment plants is as clean as it can be.
Gradual release
During the summer and fall, the water in the reservoirs is released gradually in order to maintain low flow targets at key spots in the river network. This ensures that there is enough water for municipal supplies; it also helps accommodate the treated wastewater being discharged into the river.
The communities along the Grand River and its tributaries depend on the streams and rivers of the system for two essential municipal services:
– the Region of Waterloo, City of Brantford and the Six Nations Territory take some or all of their drinking water from the Grand River. These systems serve more than 500,000 people; and
– about 30 sewage treatment plants discharge treated effluent into the Grand River system. There are 17 treatment plants downstream of the seven GRCA reservoirs. (Others plants are on tributaries with no reservoirs.).
The GRCA states it is important to maintain low flow targets at key locations to ensure that the river can:
– provide enough water to meet the needs of the drinking water plants; and
– assimilate the effluent from treatment plants to protect the quality of water in the river and reduce impact on the natural environment.
Information on river levels and rainfall amounts is available in the river data section of the GRCA website.
Watershed-wide Level 2 condition remains in effect
A watershed-wide Level 2 condition was declared by the Grand River Low Water Response Team in mid-August 2016, under the Ontario Low Water Response Program. The entire Grand River watershed remains in a Level 2 Low Water condition. At this level, water users are asked to voluntarily reduce their consumption by 20 per cent. The Grand River Drought Contingency Plan specifies that the watershed will remain in a Level 2 condition until the reservoirs return to normal operation.
