REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY O.K.

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carried a reassuring story titled "Water supply in good shape in Waterloo Region". Anyone with even the most basic understanding of where our water comes from has to have concerns as we are into our third month in a row of below normal precipitation plus extreme heat over the last six weeks. Apparently the GRCA have the Grand River watershed currently listed at Level 1 low water status although there is an upcoming meeting to debate whether or not to go to Level 2.

Indeed most of the water supply is from wells in Waterloo Region however the Grand river does supply a significant minority to the total supply. Also as indicated deep wells do not respond negatively as quickly as surface water during drought conditions. That said long term reductions in precipitation over a large area of Waterloo Region most certainly will affect both shallow and deeper aquifers. All the water even in Bedrock aquifers originates at the surface and slowly percolates downwards. If lower aquifers are being pumped out faster than groundwater from above is recharging them, then their levels and quantity will decrease.

This is the time of year when water being discharged from dams on the Grand and Conestogo Rivers tends to greatly assist flows in both those rivers. Even that however has a finite amount of water that has simply been held back from spring snow melts and rains. We need rain now both for our own use as well as for crops, trees and wildlife.