Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Region of Waterloo is planning to set aside $400,000 in its 2027 budget for additional water conservation efforts due to ongoing water limitations that have impacted construction across southern Ontario.
A report discussed at a special council meeting last Thursday requested this funding, with Amy Shaw, the director of water and wastewater operations, informing the council that it would aid initiatives “that council can give direction on today, but do not represent the full picture of proposed efforts.”
The region aims to enhance current conservation programs for households, institutions, and businesses by providing more water conservation incentives and increasing home assessments.
Staff has also suggested reviewing the region’s water conservation bylaw to explore gradual limits on outdoor water usage.
Since January, the Region of Waterloo has been dealing with significant water capacity issues within the Mannheim Service Area, which includes Kitchener, Waterloo, and parts of Cambridge. This situation led to a temporary halt on all new development approvals.
The water supply system is facing a technical bottleneck where wells are operating at full capacity. Additionally, drawing more from rivers is restricted due to the need to protect ecosystems downstream. Consequently, the region paused issuing permits for new construction that would increase demand for water.
This freeze has left thousands of residential and commercial units in planning limbo. Kenneth Brothers, the interim water commissioner for the region, mentioned that there still isn’t enough water available for all developments.
“We still don’t have all the water that we need to go into full development, but there may be some partial development that may be able to move forward,” he told reporters last week.
The region had approved lifting the development permit freeze on new schools, childcare facilities and religious institutions as well as residential, commercial and institutional projects where no extra water demand is expected.
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