Outdoor water ban issued for Winchester and Chesterville

A sprinkler spraying water on a lawn. (Q. Hung Pham/Pexels)

Residents in Winchester and Chesterville cannot water the lawn and garden or set up a slip and slide during this hot and humid weather.

The Township of North Dundas has issued an outdoor water use ban for all residential, commercial, institutional and industrial users who are connected to the municipal water system.

“Since the Outdoor Water Use Restriction was put in place on July 18, groundwater levels in our drinking water sources have continued to decline,” the township said in a statement.

“The lack of recent rainfall and limited forecasted precipitation have not allowed the aquifers—where our drinking water is sourced from—to adequately recharge.”

During the outdoor water ban, residents are prohibited from:

• Lawn watering
• Vegetable garden and flowerbed watering
• Recreational water use (e.g., sprinklers, slip and slides)
• Sod or landscape watering
• Car washing
• Driveway cleaning
• Window and siding washing

“This ban is necessary to ensure we can continue to meet essential water needs, such as drinking, cooking, sanitation, and firefighting,” the township said.

Last week, conservation authorities in eastern Ontario issued a warning about low water levels across multiple watersheds.

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and the South Nation Conservation Authority have all identified a “Level 1 – Minor” low water status in their regions.

On Wednesday, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority updated low water status in the Carp River watershed to “Level 2 – Moderate."

There has been no rain in Ottawa since a trace of rain was recorded at the Ottawa Airport on July 27. The last significant rainfall was on July 24, with 8.4 mm of rain.