City of Lethbridge opens water conservation survey

Lethbridge, Alta. — Lethbridge residents can now fill out a water conservation survey conducted by the City of Lethbridge.

The city is hoping to hear how residents conserve water and ideas for how it can reduce water usage.

“Residents and businesses should look at the ways they currently conserve water," said City of Lethbridge manager of engineering and environment, Mark Svenson. "The ways they can maybe look to conserve water more efficiently -- and what we can do as a community to increase our overall water conservation."

The survey, along with other community engagement efforts, will help build the city's water conservation plan.

City employees will take all the information gathered and present a plan to the assets and infrastructure standing policy meeting on April 4.

“We haven't narrowed anything down in terms of initiatives," Svenson said.  "What we wanted to do was get some feedback first from the public to see what might interest them, what initiatives we can put out that would get uptake.”

SHORTAGE LOOMS

The water conservation plan may be put to use this summer.

Experts warn that even with the recent snow fall in southern Alberta, much more will be needed to fill the reservoirs this spring.

The Oldman reservoir -- which should be roughly 60 per-cent this time of year -- is currently less than 30 per cent filled.

“In the past when we've had droughts, I remember the '82 or '83 drought, we got announcements that they're going to build the Oldman dam," said naturalist and author, Kevin Van Tighem. "The Oldman dam is sitting there pretty much empty right now. Because dams don't make water they store water, and if the water's not there they don’t store water,”

While the city's water conservation plan will help, experts like Van Tighem believe more needs to be done to protect the head waters.

Steps such as limiting clear cutting, road construction and re-introducing beavers to areas where they no longer live can improve water retention.

“We've been making decisions that have been costing us our water security," Van Tighem said . "We can't keep on doing that. This drought that we're in will probably harden down and become even worse. And then it will end and we'll have another wet cycle and we'll forget all about it. Then we'll get another drought.”

The city’s water conservation survey will open until February 7.