While Sundre residents are encouraged to voluntarily take measures to conserve water, there will be no mandatory restrictions imposed.
Yet.
Council discussed the matter during the April 1 meeting, when chief administrative officer Linda Nelson outlined some background on a proposed water use and conservation bylaw.
Sundre’s council agreed to sign a water source protection charter last fall following a prior request from the Red Deer River Municipal Users Group.
The proposed measures, which were submitted to the bylaw and policies committee for review, led to a conversation about whether to impose a mandatory water consumption restriction schedule from May 1 to Sept. 30, said Nelson.
“I’ve been waiting for five years for a water conservation bylaw, so I was happy to see it come,” said Coun. Cheri Funke, adding many Alberta municipalities have odd and even day watering schedules.
If predictions for the coming years are correct, Funke said, “We are looking at a severe drought.”
This discussion should not be delayed, and residents should be given a “nudge in the right direction. Because honestly, if it’s voluntary, I don’t know if they’re going to actually do it.”
Coun. Paul Isaac wondered how a mandatory watering schedule that restricts when people can or cannot water lawns would be enforced.
“How are we going to monitor that?” he asked.
“Just because we’re going to put it down on the policing aspect, then why do we have other bylaws?” said Funke.
“I’d like to hope that people would actually start following the bylaws instead of us worrying about having to police them,” she said.
That being said, water restriction infractions would largely be driven by a complaint basis, she added.
Coun. Rob Wolfe said he understood both of his colleagues’ perspectives, but with most people watering on weekends, when there is no bylaw officer, he also wondered how enforcement would be feasible.
“I’m not against water conservation. We all have to go there, and will have to go there a lot stronger in the future,” said Coun. Richard Warnock.
However, he felt Sundre residents should be granted an opportunity to participate voluntarily before imposing any mandatory restrictions.
“Possibly a campaign or a promotion, following these times that we’re presenting, might be a better first step than an all-out bylaw to implement enforcement.”
Coun. Todd Dalke suggested giving citizens a chance to follow the suggested schedule for a year and then review whether that approach is effectively reducing water usage.
Some people, he added, might not always be in a position to be able to water only on allowable days depending on their own life schedules.
Mayor Terry Leslie said he supports the idea of encouraging people to comply of their own volition to sustain the management of the important resource.
“If we voluntarily encourage people to do this, we provide the information for them, they will still have a choice,” said Leslie.
However, in the event of an emergency, the mayor said he fully supports mandatory restrictions.
“But as comments have already been made, we don’t have the resources to monitor or enforce,” he said, speaking favourably of the idea to study a voluntary participation program for a year and then revisit it.
“I hesitate to involve government more in people’s lives. Particularly when we can’t enforce the issue of water conservation.”
There are already water rates in place that are poised to continue increasing, itself acting as a deterrent against water wastage, he said, adding forced restrictions would be “an overreach that I don’t think would be reasonable for our residents.”
Coun. Charlene Preston was torn on the issue, confessing that while she initially supported the idea of mandatory restrictions, she was reconsidering her position in light of the discussion .
“My concern is education,” said Preston.
“We all have neighbours that water every single day. That’s a problem whether we do something or not.”
Since enforcement might not be feasible, she agreed revisiting the voluntary approach in one year could be a good first step.
“I don’t think anyone is disagreeing with the policy at heart,” said Coun. Paul Isaac, adding he has no issue with the proposal.
“People want to have a discussion. And I think they have to have information to have a proper discussion. Because social media is not a proper discussion,” said Isaac.
"If people are informed that there could potentially be a water shortage in the coming years, council could then seek their input in terms of what scheduling system could work best.
"And if nobody, or very few people, provides feedback, then at least council could say an opportunity was extended, rather than making a hard and fast rule that could create a lot of backlash.”
Funke sought to clarify and wondered if Isaac was seeking a survey.
“No,” said Isaac, suggesting making the information available in a coming mayor’s letter to the community could be a good avenue to start.
“No surveys!” he added.
The recommended motion was amended to remove the reference of mandatory restrictions, but without unanimous consent for all of the bylaw’s readings, the matter was deferred until the next meeting.
“Water is life. It’s important for us to make sure that we consider it most seriously,” said the mayor.
