Water use along south corridor went up in July

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Water use along Highway 3 dipped in late spring amid calls for conservation but rose to 10 per cent above average in July, new figures show.

Data presented to the MD of Taber earlier this month show that members of the Highway 3 Regional Water Services system used 2,670 cubic metres of water in July. That is about 250 cubic metres above the five-year average despite more rain than usual during the specific month.

Usage in May dropped by one-third the average as heavy rains visited the region.

That came as communities and water users were asked to set a voluntary 10 per cent reduction goal as further drought was predicted along with water supply issues coming out of the dry winter.

Water use this year was also higher than usual in January to April.

In terms of precipitation in 2024 to July, 264 millimetres had fallen in the service areas, almost as much as fell over 12 months in 2020, which serves as the recent high.

The system serves areas of the MD of Taber, County of Forty Mile and Town of Bow Island. The Vauxhall & District Regional Water Service supplies the hamlets of Enchant, Hays and Grassy Lake as well as bulk water fill stations.