Bruce Raymond

P.E.I. environment officials consider creating water-use buffer

P.E.I. environment officials consider creating water-use buffer

P.E.I. environment officials are mulling whether to create a water-use buffer given that farmers will be able to apply to construct more high-capacity wells under the province's impending irrigation strategy. Currently, regulations allow groundwater wells to draw down a waterway by 35 per cent of a stream's base flow in August and September. But Bruce Raymond, manager of water and air monitoring at the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, says officials are weighing whether to only permit 90 per cent of that draw down.

Taking water from stressed rivers during drought not allowed under new P.E.I. Water Act, says official

Taking water from stressed rivers during drought not allowed under new P.E.I. Water Act, says official

An incident last summer where water was drawn for irrigation from the Dunk River in central P.E.I. during a drought would not be allowed under the new Water Act, says the province's manager of water and air monitoring. Bruce Raymond made the comments while appearing before a standing committee of the legislature. Last summer, five farmers in the Kinkora-Bedeque region were allowed to use surface water in the Dunk in August despite that waterway being 5 centimetres below levels when water use should be cut off, according to current provincial regulations.