Huron Expositor, 2007-07-11, Page 8Poge 8 The Huron Expositor • July 11, 2007
News
Town watering ban still in effect until Oct. 31
Huron East residents have good compliance rate when conserving water, says Mills
Jordan Baker
It's that time of year again when
water is in high demand and short
supply; residents need to conserve
and cope with the yearly water ban
in effect.
The water ban covers the commu-
nities of Seaforth, Egmondville,
Brucefield and Brusssels and
remains in effect until Oct. 31.
This means outdoor watering is
restricted to between 7 a.m. and 9
a.m., and 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. for resi-
dents with even or odd numbered
addresses, depending on whether or
not it is an even or odd numbered
day.
Barry Mills, public works coordi-
nator, says he feels residents have a
good understanding of the reasons
for the restrictions, and he says that
is the reason the municipality has
few problems with the residents.
He mentions, if there was a prob-
lem with a violator, they would
come and ask to have the water
turned off at first offence, then if
they continued to water, a bylaw
officer would get involved.
Mills however, is pleased people
respect the ban and says people
don't really violate it.
He recommends people not only
conserve now, but that water con-
servation should come into their
daily routine throughout the year.
Alec Scott, water and planning
manager for the Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority (ABCA),
explains, municipal water bans
depend on how
much an infra-
structure can
provide while
still maintaining
a healthy
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amount of drinking water. serve on a daily basis, not only in
"We've -been used to having lots of the summer months but also
water," he says, mentioning the through fall and in the winter.
water use per capita is much higher Keeping water off while brushing
in Canada than most other parts of your teeth and fixing a dripping
the world. faucet are some easy ways to con -
Environment Canada's figures serve water. The Ministry of the
show that North Americans use 350 Environment (MOE) web site says a
litres per person per day, whereas dripping faucet can waste as much
Europeans use 200 litres per day as 50 litres of water a day.
and individuals in countries in Sub- Another MOE tip is to fill a gallon
Saharan Africa use 10 to 20 litres plastic bottle with water and place
per day. it in the toilet tank. It will take up
Scott says, "We have to start to the same space as that much water,
get into the conservation ethic," and and in a year it will prevent more
urges people to treat it like the than 10,000 litres of water from
resource it is. being wasted.
There are many ways one can con -
Source water protection committee
in process of determining members
in wake of release of regulations
Laron J a t' k 1 i n
With the first batch of
source water protection regu-
lations released last week by
the Ontario government,
watershed protection projects
across the province are work-
ing to get source protection
plan committees up and run-
ning.
Cathie Brown, project man-
ager for the Ausable Bayfield
Maitland Valley Source Water
Protection Project, said one of
the first things they're doing
is preparing to give advice to
Environment Minister Laurel
Broten on who should be the
chair for the committee.
"We're also placing notices,
both through our website and
local newspapers, about the
composition of the commit-
tee," she said.
Source water protection is
done on a watershed basis,
with most of Huron County
falling under the joint part-
nership of the Ausable
Bayfield and Maitland Valley
watersheds.
Each protection area will
form a committee responsible
for identifying threats and
putting together a plan to
minimize risk.
She said that this region
has been really forward
thinking, and has already
started dialogues with the
stakeholder groups the com-
mittees will draw their mem-
bership from.
Brown said a third of the
committee will be made up of
municipal representatives.
Another third will be repre-
sentatives with an economic
interest.
"In our area," she said,
"we're looking at that as
being industrial through
business and tourism, and of
course agricultural."
The final third is called
"other" and Brown said,
"That is folks with a variety
of interests, but not necessar-
ily a specific kind of sector."
Draft regulations released
earlier in the year had the
Ausable Bayfield Maitland
Valley committee made up of
12 people plus the chair, but
they asked for a higher num-
ber.
"We were successful in
requesting a 15 iember com-
mittee, plus a chair," she said.
,S,te explained this means
that each third will get one
more member, up from four
each to five each.
For more information, visit
www. source wateri n fo. on . ca.
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