City taking steps to plan for reduced water supply

The City of Lethbridge, in partnership with the province and regional partners, is continuing proactive measures to address the current water supply concerns.

Reservoir levels across southern Alberta have experienced a significant decline. The Oldman Reservoir dropped from 58 per cent in August to 26 per cent in November, while the Waterton and Saint Mary Reservoirs are also significantly lower than normal levels for this time of year.

The City’s General Manager of Water and Wastewater, Doug Kaupp, says Mother Nature has a crucial role to play in replenishing supply. “While the recent snowfall has been positive in terms of much-needed moisture, we are hoping to see a lot more of it in the coming weeks and months, along with significant rainfall in the Spring,” says Kaupp.

The City has created collaborative working groups with internal expertise and external stakeholders, and are actively investigating additional avenues for water conservation, for the immediate and long-term future. This work looks to include the regional partners the City provides water to including Coaldale, Coalhurst, Picture Butte, Monarch, Diamond City, Shaughnessy, Iron Springs and Turin.

Director of Infrastructure Services, Joel Sanchez says, “Our working groups are exploring all options and residents can trust we will keep them informed about our proactive initiatives to manage low water reserves effectively.”

More detailed information will be discussed at the January 23 meeting of Lethbridge City Council and the February 1 meeting of the Assets & Infrastructure Standing Policy Committee. All Council and SPC meeting agendas and minutes, and access to live video feeds, can be found here.

All regional residents, businesses and institutions are thanked for their ongoing voluntary water conservation efforts. Continuing voluntary action at this moment will contribute to averting the necessity for mandatory restrictions in the coming days and weeks.

For Public Inquiries:

Call 311 | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Media Contact:
media@lethbridge.ca