The hot and dry weather has prompted officials to ask those living in the GTA to use less water this summer but so far, no mandatory conservation orders have been officially given.
The Toronto Region Conservation Authority TRCA, which oversees a watershed that includes Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Pickering, parts of Ajax, and sections of Mississauga and Brampton, says that about 75 millimetres of rain has fallen in the region since May 1.
For just the months of May and June, the GTA averages 135 millimetres of rainfall, and another 69 millimetres in July.
Data compiled by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources shows that parts of the Kawarthas and northern York Region have received even less rainfall, less than 40 per cent of the seasonal average in some places.
“To help preserve our surface water and groundwater resources – and the ecosystems that rely on them, TRCA is asking all water users in York, Peel and Durham municipalities to reduce indoor and outdoor water use by 10 per cent.”
The TRCA specifically cites gravel pits, municipalities, water bottlers, golf courses and farms as targets for water conservation.
In the City of Toronto, spokesperson Randall Meier says Toronto has enough water to meet current demand and has not issued any voluntary water restriction.
Meier says water consumption in Toronto has been falling for the past 15 years due to increasingly efficient home appliances and fixtures like toilets and washing machines.
“Should water demand increase, Toronto Water is fortunate to have Lake Ontario as its source of raw water and the water treatment plants systems can double capacity.”
The province divides drought conditions into three separate categories of increasing severity.
At the moment, watershed conditions in the GTA appear to be in the first, least severe category, which is usually managed without mandatory water usage restrictions.
