Richard Froese
South Peace News
Big Lakes County is planning to be ready to face potential water shortages and drought conditions.
At its regular meeting May 22, council discussed initial steps to develop a water shortage and resiliency plan for the county as required by the provincial government.
Council tabled the report presented and directed administration to provide more details.
Several steps to respond to a water shortage were presented by Kevin Cymbaluk, director of operations.
Council specifically requested more information about steps to respond to a water crisis that require action by citizens.
Reeve Tyler Airth asked about the response.
“What determines the steps?” Airth asked.
“How can we finalize a plan before we know what triggers it?”
Cymbaluk proposed several steps.
Step 1 – No watering lawns and no livestock watering.
Step 2 – Limit water consumption to all resident. Anyone using more than a predetermined amount will be fined $1,000.
Step 3 – Shut down the water truck fill at the Town of High Prairie water plant and at the Big Lakes water plant in Enilda.
Step 4 – At this point, Big Lakes would lose all water supply to Big Lakes residents from the High Prairie water system.
“Before Step 4 would come into effect, we would either haul treated water or raw water to them to continue serving our residents,” said Cymbaluk.
A plan has been mandated by the provincial government, he told council.
“Due to severe drought conditions that have persisted for several years, the Government of Alberta has recommended that all municipalities develop a water shortage and resiliency plan,” Cymbaluk said.
“This multi-year drought has resulted in very low soil moisture conditions, surface water levels and most bodies of water being at historically low levels.”
He added a municipal plan for a drought and water shortage is new.
“This is the first time, I am aware of, that the Province has asked municipalities to develop their own plan,” said Cymbaluk, who has worked in the field of municipal public works and provincial government infrastructure since 1986.
“I suspect the government will ask for a plan annually.”
Risk for a shortage of water is a concern, he added.
“The current moisture situation creates a significant risk for limited access to this critical resource,” Cymbaluk said.
“A successful drought resiliency plan requires collaboration, adaptive management and continuous monitoring.”
Ongoing updates of bylaws, emergency response plans and other related documents are required in conjunction with the plan.
Annual reviews are recommended to maintain current requirements and reflect actual conditions, he added.
Administration proposes to update a directive in the water bylaw.
In cases of drought and water shortage, the country water bylaw authorizes the director of operations to shut off the water works system without notice in any part of the county as required.
No consumer shall have a claim against the county for non-supply of water.
A successful drought resiliency plan requires collaboration, adaptive management and continuous monitoring,” Cymbaluk said.
“Under certain extreme drought, an emergency order may (be) invoked to deal with severe conditions,” Cymbaluk said.
“This is done under the authority of our emergency response plan.”
The Alberta Emergency Management Act, in Section 21, authorizes local authorities to declare a state of local emergency to create a legal state of affairs of a temporary nature so that the local authority may take extraordinary action to deal with an emergency.
To develop a plan, he suggests several points.
Discussions with the Town of High Prairie based upon immediate concerns will be a priority.
Triggers would include river flows below base levels, antecedent moisture conditions of four or greater, general precipitation forecasts and reservoir levels.
The CAO, and director of emergency management, will discuss the status of those indicators.
Big Lakes will meet with the Lesser Slave Watershed Council, Alberta Forestry and Parks, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, Alberta Municipal Affairs and Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors.
Big Lakes will arrange regional discussions through inter-municipal collaboration agreements, emergency response plans and regional municipal meetings.