A Low Water Advisory for Level 2 conditions has been issued for the North Bay-Mattawa watershed.
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) says it’s an upgrade from Level 1 conditions in August, and indicates a potentially serious water supply problem.
“Streamflow across the watershed has continued to be low and over the past three months, only 64% of normal rainfall has been recorded with September being particularly dry,” says Angela Mills, NBMCA Duty Officer. “Local stream gauges are reporting flow between 5% and 37% of normal for this time of year. Conditions through October will need to be wetter than normal before low water conditions could end.”
While all municipal water intakes have been determined to have a low level of risk, officials say having low water conditions heading into winter is potentially a concern.
Private water systems were not assessed.
All residents are encouraged to voluntarily reduce their water consumption, targeting an overall water usage reduction of 20%.
