Niverville joins list of communities restricting water use amid hot, dry weather

Niverville residents asked to slow water flow The Town of Niverville has asked residents to cut out non-essential water use as hot, dry weather creates unprecedented demand.

Niverville has added itself to the list of southern Manitoba communities asking residents to cut back on their water use as hot, dry weather increases demand on the system.

The current level of water consumption is unprecedented, the Town of Niverville said in a news release.

“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,” said the release.

The town got permission from the province to address the water production shortfall by providing less processed water and implemented the change on Wednesday. The town said the water is safe, but residents might experience higher mineral levels and a stronger chlorine smell.

The water will be tested to ensure it stays safe.

As long as residents co-operate with the town’s request, the water system should recover over the next week, it said.

A new well field is expected to come online in late 2017. The town expects that this will prevent the need for future water restrictions.

Earlier this week, the Pembina Valley Water Co-operative asked residents in communities drawing water from its treatment plant at Letellier to avoid any non-essential water use, including watering lawns and gardens, filling swimming pools, washing vehicles and other activities.

That affected the communities of Winkler and Altona, along with the rural municipalities of Montcalm and Stanley, and the municipalities of Rhineland and Emerson-Franklin.