As more southern Manitoba communities cut back on water consumption due to dry weather and record-breaking heat, residents in one community are being warned to expect more minerals and a strong odour when they turn on the taps.
Niverville, a town of approximately 4,000 people situated roughly 30 kilometres south of Winnipeg, has changed its water production methods as the entire region grapples with high demand from farmers’ thirsty crops and livestock outstripping increasingly tight supply.
“Quite simply, right now water usage is double of what the system can currently produce. If not aggressively addressed through conservation, Niverville’s reservoir drawdown will impact the security of the entire water system,” Mayor Myron Dyck said in a release on Wednesday.
Niverville has received provincial permission to address its production shortfall by providing less processed water. Residents are being warned to expect water “with higher levels of minerals and possibly a stronger chlorine odour.”
The water is said to meet provincial standards. Additional testing has been ordered to ensure its quality. The change took effect Wednesday. The town expects its water system will recover next week.
Water conservation notices are already in effect for the thousands who rely on water from the Pembina Valley Water Co-op south of Winnipeg in the communities of Winkler and Altona, and the rural municipalities of Montcalm and Stanley, Municipality of Rhineland and Emerson Franklin.
Residents have been asked to refrain from any non-essential uses of water, such as watering lawns, filling pools and washing cars.
“Demand is just outstripping the supply,” explained Jake Fehr from the Pembina Valley Water Co-op in an interview with CTV Winnipeg.
The strain has meant that one of the water treatment plants in the region is operating at 10 to 15 per cent above capacity. About 50,000 people are served by the co-op.
Winkler Mayor Martin Harder says residents should follow the rules to ensure that enough water is stored in case of emergency.
“It creates some alarm bells, and we want to ensure that we don’t draw down our storage capacity and create a risk for fire protection, so therefore the natural thing to do is to reduce consumption,” Harder said.
The water conservation efforts are expected to remain in place for at least one week.
But reprieve may be on the way. The forecast for Winkler calls for rain early next week.
With a report from CTV Winnipeg’s Josh Crabb
