Okotoks’ mayor dove into subjects that are being discussed all over Alberta during a Facebook Live session last night (April 11).
During the broadcast dubbed “All Things Water,” Mayor Tanya Thorn walked through the local water situation and asked residents to do their part to use less.
“Drought is creating a different conversation around water,” Thorn said during the broadcast. “This is where I see huge opportunity, not only for Okotoks, but broadly, for us all to think about how we are using water.”
Although Okotoks is a leader in water management, with one of the lowest consumption rates in the province, more can be done to use less, she said.
Speaking to residents, Thorn asked that households try to reduce their water use by 10 per cent.
Roughly, she pegged average year-round water consumption at around 173 litres per person, per day.
“What would you be able to do that would allow you to cut 10 per cent of whatever your number is?” she asked. “The advantage of that reduction is a decrease in your water bill.”
Thorn also discussed changes to the outdoor watering schedule and to the Town’s Water Shortage Response Plan, where a fifth stage of water conservation measures was recently introduced.
At Stage 5, Town-supplied water would be available for essential uses only, such as cooking, bathing, essential laundry, drinking and firefighting, Thorn said.
“Our objective is never to get to Stage 5,” she said. “It's going to require all of us to do our part if we do not get appropriate precipitation.”
Watering on weekends has been eliminated from the outdoor watering schedule to smooth out weekend peaks in demand, she said.
She added the decision does not mean there is a watering restriction.
“It is actually not a water restriction, it's a water schedule,” she said. “It is for water conservation, it’s for good turf management, it's to make sure that we have water for its highest and best use.”
A watering schedule has been in place in Okotoks since 2007, when there was a growth cap in the community, she said.
“We have been the leading edge on that, you are seeing more and more municipalities across the province implementing similar outdoor watering schedules,” she said. “It allows them to manage their water resources more effectively and more efficiently.”
It's hard to talk about water without talking about growth, and Thorn said all approved developments have the water they need, and that development doesn't mean there is less water for existing users.
When it comes to water management, the Town has discussed what it needs to do to become the lowest water consumer in Canada, she said.
“Drought is a concerning situation, but it's also an opportunity for our community to lead and show that these things are possible,” she said.
More information on all things water in Okotoks is available at okotoks.ca/water.
