Drinking Water Consumption Management

The Municipality of Casselman is currently grappling with considerable challenges in managing its drinking water services, particularly concerning the quantity of treated water. It is not so much about the water levels in the South Nation River, but more about the treating capacity of the water treatment plant (WTP). In response to these challenges, a comprehensive water and wastewater master plan along with various other studies have been developed and aims at proposing effective solutions.

One of the pivotal recommendations outlined in the master plan (item 2.2.6, phase 2 https://en.casselman.ca/cms/one.aspx?pageId=5813011) is the reduction of 10% in the consumption of drinking water. This reduction is identified as a crucial interim short-term measure to address our existing hydraulic capacity constraints. At its May 7, 2024, regular meeting, Council approved staff’s recommendation to indeterminately restrain all the external use of potable water as per section 10.3 of By-law 2018-024 to Tuesdays for odd-numbered civic addresses and to Wednesdays for even-numbered civic addresses from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The methodology employed to ascertain the capacity of the water treatment plant follows the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ (MECP) D-5-1 Procedure. This involves averaging the Daily Maximum Demand (DMD) over a three-year period. The data for the last three years is tabulated below:

The highlighted figures in the above table represent the DMD for 2021, 2022, and 2023, with an average DMD of 1,960 cubic meters. Municipalities must adhere to the MECP's requirements, which necessitate municipalities to utilize this procedure to calculate the hydraulic capacities of water treatment plants, ensuring a consistent flow of water, even during peak periods or in the event of emergencies such as fires.

Currently, the water treatment plant’s total rated capacity stands at 3,182 cubic meters per day. However, the observed average DMD of 1,960 cubic meters per day already accounts for approximately 62% of the WTP capacity. The aim is to bring the DMD closer to the 5-month average consumption which would bring the WTP’s capacity at 35% to 40%. This would represent a significant gain of water treatment capacity without having to prematurely invest the required millions of dollars to allow some of the residential and multi-residential developments planned for the next 5 years which are currently halted due to the WTP hydraulic capacity limitations. This development will not only fill in the vacant properties along the main street to beautify and revitalize the downtown area, it will also increase the supply of housing the Municipality, and the province as whole, needs to reduce the cost of living for residents. While the Municipality plans the necessary documentation and financing to increase the WTP capacity, it requires the community to collaborate in reviewing their water consumption habits to ensure the existing infrastructure meets the short-term needs.

Furthermore, the irregular distribution of DMD across three different months suggests an absence of discernible patterns in water demand. The Municipality is actively investigating the underlying causes behind these peak periods of demand over the past three years. The new water consumption data collection technology approved in the 2024 budget will enable the Municipality to obtain the data in real-time to identify what time of day is the critical period of water consumption and by whom. The new data may enable the Municipality to adjust the water restriction policy. Until a comprehensive understanding is reached, the current water usage restrictions must remain in effect to enable a thorough analysis of the impacts on overall water consumption.

The Municipality cannot interfere with business activities. While the Municipality acknowledges the significant water consumption by carwashes and garden centers, they only account for 2% of the overall water consumption. The bulk of water consumption is therefore attributed to the residential sector with 80% of the overall consumed water. This is one of the main reasons why the Municipality proposed the current water restriction that aims at reducing the exterior use of drinking water among residential owners.

The Municipality is currently planning measures to reduce its own water consumption and mitigate the generation of consumption spikes at the Sports Complex, the Splash Pad and for the annual hydrant flushing exercise. It is hopeful that these actions will contribute to attain the objectives of the water restriction policy. The Municipality will report the effect of the water restriction policy in the coming fall months after the high consumption season of May to September.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this policy. We understand that adjustments may be required by property owners, but we trust in the resilience of our residents to overcome this obstacle. To avoid premature investments in expanding the hydraulic capacity of the WTP, which could potentially cost millions of dollars, the Municipality is compelled to manage the demand effectively.

Here are the restrictions regarding the hours of potable water use outside buildings :

https://en.casselman.ca/cms/one.aspx?portalid=4754438&pageid=5812187