Following several months of grappling with diminished water levels, a community situated on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula is reportedly close to implementing a strategy to address this issue.
The Town of Torbay issued a water conservation advisory in July, which subsequently escalated to a water ban as part of an effort to preserve water at North Pond. This ban restricts residents from using water for non-essential purposes.
Mayor Craig Scott mentioned that the town is in the process of finalizing a plan to transfer water from Island Pond Brook into North Pond.
“We are hopeful that this will serve as an effective solution, and we can move forward from there,” he shared during an interview on CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show.
He expressed optimism that crews might commence the pumping operation in a few days, although they are still awaiting water test results.
The Town of Torbay can’t wait for rain any longer. Beginning this week, the town plans to pump more than a million litres of water a day from a nearby river into the municipal reservoir. But they can only pump a little more water than the town uses each day, so the battle to conserve isn’t over.
Scott stated that based on staff calculations, pumping from the brook for 24 hours should allow them to maintain current water levels.
He also noted that any rainfall would contribute positively to raising the water levels.
“We estimate that we could pump around 1.5 million liters daily from the river into the pond. If successful, there might be potential to increase that to 2 million liters a day,” he explained.
Scott indicated that the town’s daily water consumption is about 1.4 to 5 million liters, which would help stabilize their water supply.
Roughly one-third of the community relies on the pond as their water source.
Scott remarked that the water levels in the pond are currently about eight and a half feet lower than usual.
“This summer has been unusual. It’s not just our pond that’s suffering. I’ve observed that Windsor Lake, Bay Bulls Big Pond, and other water sources across the province are facing similar challenges,” he noted.
In July, the Town of Bonavista issued a water restriction notice and later implemented a mandatory water ban in August to conserve water for drinking, sanitation, and emergency services.
‘Last resort’
On Monday, Torbay authorities communicated via social media that some residents were not adhering to the water ban and warned of possible fines.
“We are at a crucial point this year. It’s vital to elevate water levels in the ponds before freeze-up. If we fail to do this, we could encounter similar or even worse shortages during the winter and spring,” the statement warned.
Scott mentioned that the town has the authority to turn off water supply to residents who disregard the ban, which he described as a “last resort.” He emphasized that the town is making every effort to avoid a situation where the reservoir cannot provide water.
“As a municipal entity, we have limited options, and one of the most significant actions we can take is to disconnect someone’s water supply — and we would prefer not to resort to that,” he concluded.
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