Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
Before the 2023 water season, contractors hired by Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation made repairs to Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) canal’s lining that had be leaking for several years. But after the repairs were made and the water turned on in April, it was discovered more leaks had been created by the repair work.
The ban on non-essential water use in Canmore and the surrounding area has been lifted, allowing residents to resume normal water use. On Wednesday afternoon, the Town of Canmore and Epcor thanked residents for complying with the ban that had been in place since Friday. Residents and businesses in Canmore, Harvie Heights and Deadman’s Flats were asked to refrain from using water for things like laundry, watering lawns, washing cars, washing driveways or sidewalks, or from filling hot tubs or pools. That reduced usage helped restore water levels in the Grassi Reservoir, which is now up to “appropriate” water levels.
The water system in Jackson, Mississippi, which partially collapsed in late August, was experiencing “fluctuating” pressure impacting residents on Saturday amid frigid temperatures, officials said. Some neighborhoods in Jackson had low water pressure and residents said they had no water pressure on Christmas Eve. As the temperature remained below freezing, production slowed at one of the city’s water treatment plants while officials worked to correct the pressure drop they believed was caused by leaks and water line breaks.
According to Zurn Canada, clean water shortages are a global crisis, and the average Canadian uses approximately 250 litres of water per day through flushing toilets, showering, drinking and cleaning, but according to a 2018 study, this makes up less than 15 per cent of Canada’s water usage; industrial properties and public facility plumbing accounts for more of the used water.
"This investigation is going to open a can of worms," Quisess said. "We want Canadians to know the full story. We want Canadians to know how the tax dollars are used." Neskantaga's plant was built in 1993 and has never adequately treated and disinfected water. A long-term drinking water advisory was put in place on Feb. 1, 1995, less than two years after the plant was commissioned. It's been in effect ever since.
Water in Metro Vancouver might seem like a limitless resource, but it's time for that notion to go down the drain. When it comes to home water use — for drinking, bathing, toilet flushing and more — Metro Vancouver is a pretty thirsty place. Residential water use in Metro Vancouver is 270 litres per capita per day. That's less than the City of Montreal's 286 litres per capita per day, but more than Toronto's 219 per day or the 210 per day used by residents of Calgary. So how do the thirsty residents of Metro Vancouver use all that wet stuff?
The City of Cambridge is installing new technology in 1,200 homes in west Preson and west Galt to better monitor water usage. Water meters will be retrofitted so city staff can read meter data remotely, and people can track their daily water usage online. City officials say that will also help them quickly identify possible leaks or flow issues.
